Into the Valley of Darkness
by Ina-chan
Summary: Imagine an alternate world where arch villain Dr. Zin succeeded in taking over the world and creating his empire...
1. Act I Part I: Jessie

**STANDARD DISCLAIMER: **JQ characters are not mine, but the non-JQ characters on this chapter are my creations. Any similarities to fictional or actual people, living or dead is just really, really weird. I'm not making any cash from this, it's just purecrazy fun!

February 24, 2006

**Into the Valley of Darkness  
**_Chapter I: In the beginning...  
Act I: Jessie_

by Ina-chan

It was not a good day.

The girl clenched her teeth and bit her lower lip, trying to keep the awful words from spilling out of her mouth. The Frog, as the school had fondly nicknamed him behind his back, peered at her dispassionately through his thick spectacles, making him resemble namesake even more. The girl looked at him impassively, as if to challenge his intimidating 'What do you have to say for yourself' look. The older man finally sat back from behind his desk and sighed...

Here we go! Jessie silently muttered in her head as she eyed a sliver of coloured light on the corner of the principal's oak desk.

"I am disappointed in you, Miss Velasquez..." he began, "this is not the behaviour I expected from a student with your record..." He emphasized his point by flipping through a folder.

Yeah, yeah…whatever. Jessie replied quietly as her eyes followed the ray towards a tacky stained glass image of a god awful flower design on The Frog's office window.

"As a proud member of this institution, such behaviour is unbecoming and unacceptable," he continued, stressing the last three words of his sentence by tapping his ancient oak desk.

And my life hit an all time low that it finally came to this. It took everything that Jessie had to keep herself from sighing aloud and rolling her eyes. She always found those teen-boarding-school-movies-vs-teachers movies utterly stupid. Now that she was actually living a scene from a real-life-version of a really bad one, she actually felt like running screaming across the room and flinging herself through The Frog's awful stained glass windows.

The Frog sighed again and rubbed his temples tiredly. "I will let this incident pass since you have, after all, just newly transferred, and undoubtedly are still adjusting to your new environment." He leaned forward with a stern glare. "However, Miss Velasquez, don't think that you're getting out of this situation without a reprimand. Each action has a consequence, and the consequence of your action deems you to make a public apology tomorrow to the young man that you have 'disputed' with." With that, he leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smirk. "Is that clear, Miss Velasquez?"

Upon hearing her punishment, Jessie couldn't stop the scowl that automatically wrinkled her delicate features. Upon seeing her reaction, The Frog leaned back on his seat with a satisfied smirk. Once again, it took everything she had from giving the older man one of her blood chilling glares. She had quickly figured out shortly after her arrival that The Frog enjoyed riling up the students like this. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction that he was getting on her nerves. Even though she still considered running across the room screaming to fling herself through his windows.

"Is that clear, Miss Velasquez?" The Frog asked again, in a more insistent tone

"Yes sir," The girl replied blandly, pulling her eyes away from the stained glass windows to turn her attention on a spot in the shelves behind the Frog's shiny, balding head.

"Then you may go," The Frog waved at the girl dismissively. "I don't know how you children are being raised now, but in my day such uncivilized unladylike behaviour in a young woman such as yourself was not tolerated."

The corner of her lip twitched as Jessie painstakingly controlled her fury while she strode out of the room. As she silently made her way towards her locker with stiff, measured strides, she ignored the animated bantering of the other students as the bell rang to mark the end of the day's last class. Still without a single word, she briskly put on her father's US bomber jacket over her school blazer only to have the sleeve caught against the locker door, creating a tiny tear.

"SHIT!" The expletive automatically flew from her mouth before she could stop it as she slammed the locker door closed. The hallway instantly grew silent as all activities ceased. As she felt everyone's curious eyes fall heavily on her, she felt her temper completely flare. It was obvious that everyone simply wanted to see 'the crazy thing that new American transfer student would do.' She had just about had enough of catering to other people's entertainment. So she gave the unfortunate person rifling through his belongings in the locker next to hers, her most venomous glare. "What are you looking at?"

The boy instinctively stepped back fearfully. Feeling somewhat satisfied,

Jessie spun around and hastily walked through the polished halls, her footsteps clacking through the silent corridors as every student in the hall watched her procession. Without realizing it, her footsteps quickened at every step. Before she knew it, Jessie found herself in the center of the courtyard where she suddenly released a loud cry of indignation, causing more startled students to scatter out of her way. She then proceeded to face the looming building behind her and flipped it the 'Universal Gesture of Displeasure' with a loud hiss.

"Hmph, it seems the kitten has grown claws," an amused voice called out from behind her. "Though it's not much of a fight, I'm afraid. Buildings don't fight back."

The girl bristled upon recognizing who that voice belonged to. She bit back a groan before turning to confirm her worst fears. He was the last person she wanted to see right then, but there he was… boy leaning on a nearby tree with that infuriating smug expression on his face.

"What? Not happy to see me?" The boy called out to her innocently.

"Go fuck yourself," the girl replied flatly.

The boy gaped at her in mock horror. "Such language! On top of the impressive right hook you've got there, you're not really going to win any brownie points with charm if you keep that up."

The girl simply flipped the 'Universal Gesture of Displeasure' at him and started to walk away.

"Jessie!" The boy called out after her. "Hey, come on. Wait! I was just joking."

Jessie stared ahead of her as she hastened her steps, "Do the world a favor, John. Cease to exist."

John laughed good-naturedly, as he matched her pace, though still keeping a reasonably safe distance behind her "Whatever will you do when you finally meet the man who will gladly give up his life for you and follow your every whim?"

"I'd pity him," Jessie replied flatly as she deliberately made loud crunching noises on the thin layer of ice under her feet

"I'm glad you still have that impeccable sense of humour."

"Go away."

"I'm hurt. Here we are talking like old friends but I've yet to hear from you even a simple 'Hello John…'"

"Goodbye John."

"'…how have you been, John? I missed you terribly, my love…'"

"Why do you have to be so god damned annoying?"

"Oh, come on, Jessie. You can't say that you're not the least bit happy to see me. I haven't seen you in years. I almost didn't recognize you."

"A pity you did."

"You chopped your hair."

"Practical reasons."

"At least it's red again."

Jessie finally stopped, let out a deep breath before speaking in a dangerous tone, "I'm not in the mood. So if you value your teeth, go away and leave me alone."

"Ah! A warning before impending violence and imminent pain," John stopped in his tracks before giving her a dazzling smile. "I knew you still had feelings for me."

Jessie spun around and glared at him, speechless and not knowing how to reply. John always had that effect on people… rather, that effect on her. The amazing ability to infuriate her until her brain stops functioning.

Sensing that he had finally pushed his luck, John raised his arms up in surrender, still smiling that annoying smile. She hated it even more when he did that. It made her want to acknowledge humiliating things that she didn't want to admit.

Even so more in front of him.

Most especially not in front of him!

Not wanting to deal with any more humiliation, she did the only thing she could do. She turned on her heels once again and briskly walked away.

"Hey, the dorms are the other way," John called out to her, this time making no attempt to follow. "Where are you going?"

"Away from you!" Jessie replied haughtily

"You're not properly dressed to go hiking, you know."

Jessie answered by running away.

"Don't run crying to me if you freeze to death," John yelled after the retreating figure. John shoved his hands into his pockets and laughed under his breath. "Still stubborn as a mule."

A safe distance later, Jessie finally stopped to catch her breath as she leaned against a tree. Of all the places in the world… of all the people in the world… why did he have to be here?

"That stupid son of a..." she whispered aloud as she sank down on a tree and watched the serenity that winter brought to the scene in front of her. It was only then that she realized in her blind march that she somehow managed to make her way to a pond in the woods near the school grounds.

The pond had contrasting shades of black and grey due to the unevenness of ice forming on its surface. The branches and roots of the nearby mourning trees dipped sorrowfully through the glassy surface.

"Why is it that nature still looks so beautiful even when everything's dead?" Jessie asked to no one in particular before hugging her knees. "What am I doing here? I don't belong here. Everyone here is blind to everything. It's like a make-believe world where everyone refusing to see the fact that everything could just make a turn for the worst in a single moment."

Jessie closed her eyes as she lifted her chin, letting the warmth of the winter afternoon's sunlight bathe her face, "I don't belong here."

'But where do you belong, Jessie?' A familiar voice from the corner of her mind inquired.

Jessie took out a battered harmonica from her jacket pocket and delicately traced the dents and scratches on the worn instrument with her fingers. "I should be home. I should be with my friends. I should be helping to prepare. I should be helping look for Mom… I belong with you, Dad."

'I just don't want anything to happen to you, Princess.'

Jessie clutched the harmonica tightly and gritted her teeth angrily. With one swift motion, she jumped to her feet as that stupid conversation played over her head once again. Why does he have to be so damned protective?

And whatever gave him the idea that she would be safe in this place anyway? A private school that was really a safe house for children of dignitaries, most, if not all enrolled under assumed names. The school, along with everything in New London was an absolute neutral zone as agreed upon in the 1994 Parisian Treaty. Any action from all sides involved in this stupid war that are deemed to be a political threat will result the inevitable hostilities that neither the New Order Territories or the Alliance could afford at the moment.

"So there is liberty to torture, kill, execute people anywhere else as long as it's not here." Jessie couldn't help laughing sardonically at the idiotic ideas that adults come up with. But just because New London is a green zone didn't guarantee that the New Order didn't exert its influence there.

"DAMMIT DAD!" she yelled angrily as she threw the object in her hand to stress her fury. "I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!"

Jessie watched the harmonica sail through the air and skid perilously across and to the middle of the pond with satisfaction, feeling a bit better. Then her eyes widened in horror as the realization of what she's done sunk in. "Stupid!"

With a groan of defeat, Jessie trudged nearer to the frozen body of water to retrieve her possession. She blew a frustrated gust of breath at her bangs upon seeing the cracks created by the blow of her harmonica on the black ice. She scanned her surroundings and saw a natural bridge composed of a fallen medium sized tree, accumulated soil sediments and foliage just an arms breadth from her prize.

With amazing agility, she navigated herself over the bridge and carefully reached over to claim her item. She blew another breath of frustration upon realizing her arm was not long enough to reach it without compensating her balance. She gave a nearby branch a hard tug and made a satisfied grin as it held firm, then glanced at the object with smug determination.

Any parent watching this scene would probably have died of a heart attack

to witness the girl perch dangerously from her perilous position over thin ice. Race Bannon probably would have given his daughter a scolding before patting her on the back for a job well done.

A habit her mother disapproved of.

Perhaps that was the reason why Jessie Bannon always believed in the air of invincibility created by her luck was enough to disregard the dangers in every perilous situation. It is also perhaps the reason why Jessie Bannon succeeded at every task she puts herself in to.

So it was quite a surprise and a twist of misfortune that the moment

Jessie Bannon held her reward in her hand, the laws of physics chose to break the branch she depended on and caused the surprised girl to tumble face first into the frigid waters. Jessie sputtered in indignation as she rose from the neck-high pool.

It was definitely NOT a good day.

"STUPID!" She cried out again breathlessly through chattering teeth.

" Alright, Jessie. Don't panic now. You can get out of this."

With almost inhuman determination she manoeuvred herself to the nearest dry surface, trying to bury her alarm with a wave of calm as the mush and mud that she disturbed at the bottom of the pond threatened to pull her down. By the time she reached her goal, she couldn't feel her legs and her numb fingers could barely hold on.

She cried out in dismay upon the realization that her arms were too frozen to haul her weight to safety. Then her legs gave way, causing her to sink into the murky water. From some miracle, she was able to surface coughing and hold on tightly to a branch.

"Help... HELP! Someone! Dad!" She called out desperately. It can't end like this. She can't allow it to end like this. Not here... Not so far away from home... It's not fair. She closed her eyes, and frantically wished… willed for someone to somehow hear her… "…John."

Then she heard the noise. Footsteps crunching against the ice… Jessie sluggishly looked up and caught her breath as she saw... the sky? No... it couldn't be. It can't be the sky... Then it must be... heaven...

Only heaven could have such a beautiful, clear and vibrant shade of...

"Blue."

That was the last thing she said before the shadowy fingers of unconsciousness veiled the pleasure of her vision from her eyes.

End of Chapter 1 Act 1  
To be continued

* * *

Author's Squawk.

Now why in the world am I re-writing this monster? Well, I hate leaving things unfinished… and when I tried to go back to finish this, I realized that my writing style has changed so drastically that I couldn't connect back with the characters. Man! Has it really been 9 years since I wrote this thing? (For the record, this chapter was originally posted online on October 10, 1997! Yikes!)

Anywayz, I'm not changing the story at all… but I'm definitely changing a how some parts in the story are worded, the dialogue hopefully more realistic and more flowing. One big change I also included is that I've decided to "uncensor" myself. This Jessie grew up in an environment surrounded my soldiers… if she was anything like my best friend, she would have been swearing like a sailor before she could even string proper sentences.

I've pretty much been inspired since religiously reading Diana Wynne Jones. (She's bloody brilliant!). I since had learned that it's not sacrilegious to write morbid stuff like Neil Gaiman, allude to violence, conspiracies, and sex in stories meant for young readers. They won't really understand it completely, but in the eyes of an adult… THEY'RE BRILLIANT! . See, you can put all those adult stuff in a PG-13 rating fic… you just have to be creative with the execution. .

Well, I vowed to write like that someday, using my own voice. So, I want to thank Meach, Daria, LizFav, Akane Rei to name a few… of the people who encouraged me to write this before. You guys have incredible patience to bear my horrible writing. . I hope to make this right the second time around. Hopefully, in the process of re-writing this monster I will be inspired once again to write new JQ stuff with my current personal writing standards. hides face in shame ARGH! I'm tempted to pull down every fic I've ever written ten years ago… they're just so bad! Though it's a great personal reminder to show me how much I improved. (Hopefully… .)

Anywayz… this note is getting longer than the fic! I hope people will still support this re-write as much as the original.

Ja!  
Ina-chan

Sept. 7, 2007

Thank you Goddess Evie for beta-ing! YAY! .

Ja!

Ina-chan


	2. Act I Part II: Blu

**Standard Disclaimer:** JQ characters are not mine, but the non-JQ characters on this chapter are figments of my deranged imagination. Any similarities to fictional or actual people, living or dead would are just figments of YOUR paranoid imagination. I'm not making any cash from this… (Which makes me kind of wonder why the heck am I crazy to do this in the first place!).

August 3, 2007

**Into the Valley of Darkness**  
_Chapter I: In the beginning...  
Act II: Blu_

There was something different about the air that day. He couldn't explain it, but the air just felt… different. There was a strange almost electric feeling, like something was about to happen… like that thick feeling in the air just before a thunderstorm. He felt overcome by an uncharacteristic sense of impatience, like waiting for Christmas morning to arrive.

A gust of the bitter wind blew against his face. He watched his breath fog as he blew on his hands to warm them before putting them on his chilled cheeks. He closed his eyes and cherished the warm sensation. He opened his eyes just in time to see a single snowflake float lazily through the air. He then, idly wondered if there would be a storm following it soon.

_/'Silly,'/ _The logical part of his brain chirped cheerily. _/'The weatherman didn't mention anything about a blizzard, so you can just leave all that to wishful thinking. Not that a blizzard would stop that stupid head-shrinker from postponing your sessions./_

He made a mental shrug as he shoved his hands into his gloves. He didn't mind his weekly sessions with Just Elaine anyway. Even if most of their sessions were spent with him staring out of her office window while she tried to bait him into a conversation. Besides, Just Elaine wasn't really a psychiatrist… she was really just the school chaplain doubling as the guidance counsellor.

_/'Same difference.'/_

_S_he meant well. Even if the sessions only started because his homeroom teacher believed that his constant silence in school was a vigilant form of passive aggression. The last thing the school wanted was another frustrated student showing up one morning, and threatening to blow up the whole place with a homemade pipe bomb. Most of the students have already shrugged off the incident months ago anyway. Stuff like that happened almost everyday in the territories outside the green zones. The school was just desperate to hold on to the fragile image of normalcy… even if their vision of "normal" was up the standards of 20 years ago.

_/'Geez. Don't you ever get tired of people always labelling you and trying to get into your head?'/_

He made another shrug. He didn't care about that either. It was just one of those things that he had gotten used to growing up. People had been unsuccessfully trying to get into his head for as long as he could remember. He'd seen doctors, child specialists and psychiatrists almost as often as those people wearing uniforms patrolling the streets after curfew.

There were some occasions when those people wearing uniforms would show up asking about him… or Abby. Of course, Abby would quickly move them someplace new shortly after that. Which was really more of a bother than it was worth… moving that was. He didn't really understand why that happened. But he did figure out pretty fast that the less you talked the more people left you alone and the less likely those uniformed people showed up.

_/'With the exception of this nosy homeroom teacher of yours, of course… Are you going to tell Abby, eventually?'/_

Telling Abby would mean that the potential of moving again would rise to a dramatic 40, though he suspected that his guardian knew already anyway. The school would have contacted her about… problems… he was having. Even though Abby never said anything about it, the fact that she started establishing a stricter after school curfew was enough to raise the red flags. Not that he minded moving either. Even if it was such a bother, it was just one of those things he simply had gotten used to doing a lot while he was growing up.

_/'Don't you care about anything at all?'/_

That wasn't true. Abby always seemed to be scared that someone would take him away. He supposed he cared if that happened.

_/'Then make sure you never mention that you're hearing voices in your head'/_

He was thinking of a reply to that when a cracking noise caught his attention. He turned to look in the direction of the noise and saw a flash of red hair walking briskly past the trees. He blinked, feeling a little off-guard. He always took a short cut through the woods to get home and nobody else ever went this way. Well, except for couples from school sneaking out to look for a secluded area to do their funny business. Once he saw a junkie, but he figured the poor guy was just high and had ended up getting lost in the woods…

_/'Uh-uh…Don't you dare follow her. That's a bad idea.'/_

It was just a girl and she was alone.

_/'What if she's meeting someone? What if she's looking for a nice quiet spot so she can get her hit?'/_

He couldn't argue with that. He'd seen the weird and stupid things junkies were capable of doing from those who ended up in Nathan Ross' clinic. He didn't want to be involved with that. So he turned around and took a step toward his original destination, then stopped. An uncharacteristic frown marred his normally stoic features. The air around him seemed to have gotten even heavier. He turned his gaze back to the direction of where the mysterious girl disappeared to and felt an odd compulsion that urged him to follow her.

_/'Fine! Don't listen to me.'/_

The sulking tone almost made him stop on his heels again. After sulking, the voice from the logical side of his mind had the tendency to nag if he didn't follow what it wanted. Usually, THAT was more trouble than it was worth. But the pull to follow that mysterious girl was much stronger. Ignoring the voice from the logical side of his mind, he treaded through the path the girl took before it could protest. By the time he found her again, he saw her reaching out precariously towards something on the lake.

_/'Will you look at that… she's got even less common sense than you do!'/_

He didn't have enough time to even muster a reply as he saw her plunge face first towards the ice, then disappear into the lake's murky depths. He blinked, rooted to where he stood, and somewhat taken by an emotion that may have been surprise at what happened before him. As he started to take a step closer, he saw a flash of matted red hair as the girl burst through the icy waters and began her struggle out of the icy trap.

_/'I have to admit, this one's pretty strong. It's a shame she only has less than fifteen minutes to live.'/ _

Despite himself, an uncharacteristic frown etched across his features.

_/'Oh no. You are not going there to grab her. Maybe she'll manage to get out on her own and you won't have to get involved.'/_

So he waited… and watched. But a strange feeling… something that may have possibly been guilt hit him as he stood there uncertainly while the mysterious girl cautiously tread her way through the icy waters.

_/'See? She doesn't need your help. Just get going before Abby starts to worry and you get into even bigger trouble.'/_

Just then, the girl disappeared again under the water. He tensed and felt his heart skip a beat only to relax as the girl resurfaced again. The foreign emotions gnawing at him simply started to get stronger. It was obvious that the girl was not going to get to safety without any help.

_/'Don't YOU dare! You made a promise! Remember your promise!'/ _

Forcing the logical part of his brain to the back of his mind, his quickly made his way towards the distressed girl. By the time he navigated his way along the same toppled tree he had watched her fall from, she was already half-conscious and on the verge of sinking back into the lake's icy depths one last time. His eyes met hers and for a split second, he felt another foreign emotion course through his entire body, causing him to freeze once more in his tracks as he recognized the glassy consistency of her green orbs.

His chest heaved laboured breaths at the memory of the thick smoke.

His arm and shoulder protested at the memory of the pain.

His skin prickled and burned at the memory of the intense heat.

"Blu."

Her voice, though barely a whisper, rang clearly in his ears. It pulled him back from that place in his head where the intense smoke, heat and burning flesh resided. Reality hit him like a slap in the face as his lungs suddenly breathed in the freezing air. He didn't even realize that he'd been holding his breath. He glanced down in time to see the frigid waters succeed in claiming to the girl before him. His body, as if acting on its own, lunged forward, grabbed whatever it could reach, and pulled with almost inhuman strength before the girl's body completely disappeared under the lake's icy depths.

The lake, however, was unyielding. It refused to let go of its prey. The icy waters stung his limbs to numbness as it easily pierced through the protection of his own clothes. The combined weight of the girl and their wet clothes didn't help matters as the lake seemed to have doubled its efforts to claim him within the waters as well. After what seemed like an eternity, he somehow managed to escape the frigid water's persistent grasp.

_/'You're an idiot.'/_ The logical part of his brain scolded in exasperation.

Once again, he mentally swatted it to its place at the back of his mind. After all, he didn't have much time. Fighting the shivers that instantly wracked through his entire body as the cold air started its own onslaught, and ignoring the pins and needles in his limbs, he pulled off his wet gloves and desperately tried to remember the first aid lesson that Nathan Ross instructed him in these types of situations. Her breathing was shallow. But at least she was breathing. Her pulse was weak. He knew that he needed to get her to Nathan Ross and someplace warm as soon as possible. The numbness in his toes and the blue tinge on his fingertips on top of his body's increased, almost violent shivering told him that he was in no better shape. But home was closer than the clinic…

Without another thought, he awkwardly brought the girl unto his back and started his long trek home…

* * *

Light filtered through the room and coaxed the darkness to flee from her eyes. Jessie groaned in annoyance as she buried her face in her pillow and inhaled its clean bath-soapy scent... then froze. That was not how her pillow smelled. Her eyes opened in a flash as she instantly sat up with a start only to moan in agony as a sharp pain like a bolt of lightning, passed behind her eyes from one temple to the other, forcing her to fall back in bed. As she caught her breath, she opened her eyes once again to scan her unfamiliar surroundings. 

It was a small neat room, seemingly devoid of any personality. The walls were so white, that they actually hurt her eyes. Aside from the bed she was lying on, the only other objects in the room were one of those cheap study table and chair sets that are available from a local department store sitting pathetically in the corner by the window. Another cheap department store shelf adorned another wall with a collection of various books, some she recognized as part of the school's curriculum. Finally, she spied a male school blazer hanging tidily on one of the hooks on the door.

This was definitely not her room

The doorknob turned and the door slowly opened. With her heart pounding in her throat, Jessie closed her eyes and feigned sleep. From the slits of her eyes, she saw a blond figure quietly walk in to take the blazer from its location. Anger started to boil her blood.

'_Why that perverted son of a... How dare he?_ She tensed her muscles and readied herself for action as the figure started to walk toward her. When he reached for the edge of the crumpled blanket, she grabbed his wrist and quickly sprung upright. The boy gasped in surprise and pain as she twisted his arm, and the momentum sent the both of them tumbling clumsily onto the floor.

"You sneaky little bastard!" She hissed angrily, straddling his back and forcefully pushing his head quite painfully to the floor

Her prisoner replied by clenching his teeth to prevent a cry of pain from escaping his throat.

"This is one stunt I'll never forgive you for," she continued furiously, emphasizing each word with a hard twist on the captured arm "Do you HEAR me? NEVER!"

The boy made a muffled scream of agony as the muscles in his left arm started to contract and spasm violently. Jessie loosened her hold in surprise.

"I ask you to do one task an--" A woman's voice called out from the door, "--WHAT THE BLAZES?!"

Jessie looked up to see an unfamiliar raven-haired woman, sitting on a wheelchair, gaping at her. With a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, she turned her attention to her captive, "John?"

She felt worse as she realized that the familiar blond-haired, blue-eyed face that she expected belonged to that of a stranger. A wave of silence, save for the boy's frantic gasps to control the pain of his injury, descended in the room as the parties present pondered the situation with uncertainty.

"Well," The woman finally broke the silence, "It's good to see that you've recovered without any ill effects."

End of Chapter 1 Act 2  
To be Continued…

* * *

Author's Squawk. 

Lalalala… Doo dee doo dee doo… I know… I'm taking my sweet time with this fic. When I was re-writing this chapter, I felt so awful that I wrote such awful drivel that it took me a year to recover…

Okay, I'm lying! It's been a very busy year and a half for me. I did a couple of plays here, a couple of concert gigs there, and three conventions in between… I know… lousy excuse. But what can you do?

But I wasn't lying when I said that I thought the original version of this chapter was horrendous. Despite what I said earlier… this chapter was a major overhaul! I think it gave more insight about what's going on in Blu's mind process. In the original version, it made him seem so robotic and inhuman… when in reality, Blu is really just a strange little boy with lots of issued… that will surface more and more in the future.

I cut out the scene with Abby mainly because I thought it was stupid and highly unrealistic and strongly reflected the immaturity of my writing at the time. Despite Abby's quirks (and after all the things she's been through), I don't think she's immature.

As usual, send them reviews, comments and criticisms via the trusty review button.

Ja!  
Ina-chan

Sept. 7, 2007

Thank you Goddess Evie for beta-ing! YAY! .

Ja!

Ina-chan


	3. Act I Part II: John

**STANDARD DISCLAIMER:** JQ is HB's. All for fun. No cash made. This is a re-write of a really really REALLY badly written fanfic that I first wrote 10 years ago. Non-JQ characters on this chapter are figments of my deranged imagination. Any similarities to fictional or actual people, living or dead would are just figments of YOUR paranoid imagination

August 8, 2007

**Into the Valley of Darkness  
**_Chapter 1: In the Beginning...  
Act 3: John_

By Ina-chan

The boy sighed.

This was going to be one of those days. There was a feeling in the air that screamed something terribly wrong was going to happen today. Everything that had happened that morning was already an indication of that. The odds were already against him. He paused for a moment and gathered his tactics.

He watched her from a distance, with almost paternal worry etched on his boyish features. He now understood the significance of each strand of white hair on her father's head. First, she was mysteriously absent from school for two days with no one knowing where she went. Of course, that wasn't unusual back home. The Jessie Bannon he knew when they were seven was already notorious for storming off in a huff whenever she disagreed with her parents to disappear within the complex until she was ready to come out. A parent would always send word later that Jessie was safe at a friend's place, but it still drove her father crazy with worry.

But now... Jessie didn't have any friends here.

Her father wasn't here to worry either.

Which was why it was John who ended up worrying.

Not that it was his fault. No one knew or was willing to tell him anything. When he tried to get information from her classmates, they all just gave him blank stares. Jessie did an exceptional job of keeping a low profile... or at least of making people stay clear of her business. His investigation at the girls' dorm only resulted suspicious in looks from that scary dorm mother. Even with his charm in full blast, he couldn't yield any results from her homeroom teacher... or any of the teachers for that matter. Then again, none of the adults looked the very least bit worried, so he figured that they knew something.

That only made things more frustrating.

When she finally came back to school, he was almost floored by the emotions washing over him. He was torn between a great sense of relief upon seeing that she was okay and wanting to throttle her for behaving like a selfish brat. The fact that she acted as if nothing had happened only increased his desire to lock her up somewhere to make sure she didn't disappear on him again.

Not that Jessie's attitude was unusual either.

The Jessie Bannon he knew when they were nine, fell off a utility jeep... after he ran it in a ditch... got up, brushed the dirt off her clothes then proceeded to give him an 'I-told-you-so' lecture on why hotwiring a jeep to joyride was a bad idea without skipping a beat.

But what unsettled him the most was Jessie's very un-Jessie Bannon-like behaviour. This Jessie Bannon actually made a public apology for that fist fight fiasco like a good little girl. The Jessie Bannon he knew would have either staged some kind of protest or found a creative way to turn her humiliating experience into an entertaining satire. The Jessie Bannon he knew also wouldn't have ignored him in that strange distracted manner. She would literally have tried to bite his head off... laughed as she watched blood spurt out from his mutilated body... THEN left him for dead...

And finally...

The Jessie Bannon he knew would never sit in the cafeteria for lunch.

Something must have happened.

He sighed again as a decision formed in his mind. If there was one thing that he hated, it was getting caught in the middle of a mystery. Most especially if she was in the middle of it...

John strode to the table where the fire-haired demoness sat and made an exaggerated show of sitting in front of her.

But the girl was too lost in her thoughts to notice him.

John cleared his throat.

"Go away," Jessie replied half-heartedly, not bothering to look at him. "I'm not in the mood."

"We could always change that," John teased as he leaned forward, bracing himself to react quickly as soon as the claws started flying.

But the girl didn't reply.

It was only then that John realized that the girl was not staring blankly into space. She was watching something from across the room. He followed her field of vision and found himself looking at a lone figure sitting by a window. John frowned. If there was one thing he hated more than Jessie being involved in a mystery, it was Jessie being involved in a mystery with another boy.

John felt something in him crack.

"Lowering your standards a little bit, aren't you?" The words came out in a venomous tone before he could stop himself.

Jessie blinked, as if woken from a trance. She turned to the boy frowning, as his words sunk in. "Excuse me?"

"Jason Lynd. Year 9. One of Foxworth's 'special' class kids. For some weird reason everyone calls him Blu. He's also the mute school mascot." John stated stoically. "So what's the story with him? Don't tell me he's your new boyfriend. Now, that's just really sad."

"That's really none of your business, now is it?" Jessie replied coldly, her eyes narrowing into angry slits, the corners of her lips stretching into a thin hard line.

"The hell it isn't!" John retorted in the same tone. "You disappear for two days without a word. And come to think of it... that Lynd kid wasn't in school the same time you were gone. What will Race say if he finds out what you've been doing..."

"Don't you dare bring my father into this," Jessie interrupted in a low and dangerous tone.

John raked his fingers through his hair and took a deep cleansing breath before continuing. "Okay... I'm sorry. I was just worried. It's just that when you didn't show up for school after you ran off like that... I was worried that something happened to you, okay?"

An unreadable emotion flickered through Jessie's eyes for a moment, before a bitter grimace touched the corners of her lips, her voice lowering to a harsh whisper. "Oh, shut up. You haven't changed at all, have you, John? Still playing with people's emotions? Still trying hard to imitate my father? Well, you're not him and you never will be." With that, she stood up and started to leave.

Almost instinctively, John reached out to grab her wrist, "Jessie..."

The girl simply gave him an icy glare. "Take your hand off me."

"I just want us to be friends again..." John pleaded meekly.

"John," Jessie replied incredulously, finally allowing her voice to rise in ire. "IT WASN'T ME WHO LEFT!"

Her words hit him like a slap in the face. He let her shake her wrist away and watched her leave. He couldn't believe how she affected him. He never wanted to hit something… anything… so badly in his entire life. Only to realize that all the strength was sapped out of him. He actually wanted to cry. That was saying a lot. He'd only cried twice in his lifetime.

It was only after she disappeared through the swinging cafeteria doors from across the room did he realize that everyone within hearing distance of Jessie's outburst was now watching him with morbid interest.

"Women," John shrugged with a casual chuckle as he flashed one of his charming lopsided grins at his nosy onlookers.

With that everyone turned back to their own business. He switched his gaze towards the root of their argument only to catch the mentioned boy staring at him. Whatever anger or irritation he felt instantly vanished as he met the other boy's eyes.

John never considered himself easily frightened by anything. But there was something really strange about that boy. It made him feel very uneasy. Those eyes. Those blue eerie emotionless, glasslike, lifeless orbs. It was like staring right into the face of a porcelain doll. Now, the other boy was looking at him as if he'd heard every word of his conversation with Jessie through the cafeteria noise from seven feet away.

No... he wasn't looking at him... John frowned as realization dawned on him. The other boy was looking towards the direction Jessie had disappeared in. John ground his teeth as he felt a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. As much as he hated to admit it, if it wasn't for those creepy eyes... or his overall weirdness... or English for that matter... Jason Lynd would actually be what people at home would call the image of an 'All-American-Boy'.

Just like Jessie's type.

He knew.

He had first hand experience.

"Hey J!"

John almost jumped in surprise as he felt a sudden slap on his back. He looked up in time to see his roommate giving him a sympathetic look. "Hey Max."

"Saw the whole thing with the new girl when I was coming in. Man! You've got guts. I mean, I know she's ultra hot and all... but after what happened with Felix? No waaaay! I'm surprised she didn't give you a good one!"

"You know me," John replied smoothly, "I have my way with the ladies."

"Yeah, whatever!" Max rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"What's up? I doubt that you came all this way just to spy on my lady killer moves," John countered.

"Ha!" Max interjected heartily before waving an envelope at the other boy. "Mail. I was just checking if the you-know-what already arrived at the dorm. Instead, I saw this. It looked really important so I figured I might as well bring it to you."

"Hey, thanks bud," John grinned as he snatched the envelope from the other boy's hand before he got ideas. His smile instantly fell as he recognized the inscription on the letter.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Max asked nosily.

"Forget about it," John forced another smile on his face and crumpled the envelope in his hands before shoving it in his pocket. "It's nothing important. It's just some stupid junk mail. That's the last time you use my name to order crap online."

"But the postmark is… I mean, isn't that from your home? It could be important. Your Dad…"

"I said, forget about it," John snapped coldly, flashing his friend glare that promised immeasurable pain if he continued prodding.

Max instantly shrank back, completely caught off guard by the other boy's uncharacteristic behaviour. "Uh… yeah… sure. I'll see you at the dorm after class…" With that he got to his feet made his way out of the cafeteria.

John raked his fingers through his hair one more time as he watched another one of his friends run away from him. His annoyance at his situation with Jessie… Jason Lynd… snapping at his best friend… at that man's stupid letter… at himself for allowing himself to get all riled up with everything. He'd thought that he'd be able to just forget everything and start over.

For a moment, there was a sliver of hope when he saw Jessie again.

Now, he knew it was impossible.

It was too late.

There was no way to go back and undo everything that he'd done.

The unopened crumpled envelope in his pants pocket was the testament to the sins he'd committed.

All at once, the walls of the cafeteria started to close in around him. The regular cafeteria clamour became deafening. The earlier sick feeling he had in the pit of his stomach hit him again with a vengeance. Somehow, he managed to get on his feet and get himself to the nearest boy's lavatory before his lunch spilled out from his mouth.

As he cleaned up afterwards and caught the pale the stranger staring back at him from the mirror… he knew for sure.

That today was going to be one of those days.

* * *

Jessie was prepared this time.

Wrapped in warmer clothing, she returned to that fateful place and was determined not to allow the elements to get the better of her. Spending two days with Abby definitely cleared her head. She normally didn't find it easy to trust strangers. That was why it was a surprise that she found a kindred spirit in Abigail Lynd. Then again, the woman and her nephew did save her life. It was almost impossible to find fault after an experience like that.

Though, she did wonder who Abigail Lynd really was. A simple direct phone call to the Frog and several other people in school fixed her two-day absence. There was also the strange fact that unlike most of the people whose kids go to her school and not live in the dormitories, she and her nephew lived quite a ways from town. One would think that a person with disabilities like hers would be more comfortable in a more densely populated area. It was clear that the Lynds were very particular about their privacy. The only person she saw visit them was a family friend, who also happened to be the resident county physician. Jessie supposed that it made sense for Dr. Ross to make his rounds to the Lynds often because of the their special health-related circumstances.

After she woke up, she dreaded the interrogation that was most likely to happen, especially after that dreadful afternoon with the Frog. She already mentally prepared her story and alibi. But the questioning never came. She quickly learned that as long as she respected their privacy, they respected hers. Abby went so far in extending her hospitality as to tell Jessie that she was welcome to their home for as long as she wanted after Jessie had recovered well enough to return to school and her dormitory.

Now, as she glared at the source of her misery, she realized that she'd probably get a ribbing if they found out what she was up to. But Jessie just didn't have the heart to abandon her beloved musical instrument. Abby said that she didn't see it when Blu brought her to the house. That meant that her father's harmonica was either in the bottom of the lake itself or somewhere on the snow banks. She wasn't ready to give up all hope, so she decided to search her drier option first.

Her thoughts soon wandered to the earlier incidents that had happened as she started her search. Her face flushed at the memory of her attacking a complete stranger during a fit of disorientation. She felt a pang of guilt with the realization that she still hadn't gotten a chance to apologize to the poor boy, or thank him for saving her life for that matter.

Blu, or rather, Jason Lynd was Abby's nephew.

Blue-eyed, blonde, and still a bit baby-faced, Jessie couldn't help being reminded of a Christmas card angel the first time she finally got a good look at him. She couldn't believe how she could have mistaken her saviour for that demon spawn, whose only purpose in life was to torture her! Though she wasn't blind as to not notice that there was something very off about Blue.

The entire time she stayed with the Lynds, Blu never talked. He seemed to understand what Abby and Nathan told him, that was, he seemed to acknowledge that he understands. But still, not once had she heard him talk… or show any emotion for that matter. Not a frown, not a smile, nothing. She knew he had a voice. She heard him cry out when she twisted his arm… but except for that moment he was this stoic, lumbering, life-size robot doll.

She figured that they both went to the same school. Though she never saw him. Or at least she never noticed him. Then again, he went to special classes and was a year younger than her. He never stuck around for after school activities either. If he wasn't seeing Ms. Everett, the school counsellor, he was hanging out at Nathan's clinic.

She quickly found out on her first day back that Blu was somewhat of a "celebrity" in their school. Not a popular likeable kid celebrity, mind you. More like that kid from special class that people didn't really want to hang around with, but at the same time felt uncomfortable if they made fun or bullied him.

And she didn't need John to point that out in a fit of jealous rage.

The nerve of that guy!

She figured, more or less, that Blu kept to himself just as she did.

"Did your near drowning make you an idiot or were you just born that way?"

Jessie jumped in surprise and almost slipped face first into the lake's icy banks. She spun around in annoyance to face the intruder only to gape in surprise when she discovered who it was. "Who… wh-… what did you just say?"

"Did your near drowning make you an idiot," Blu's soft spoken voice rang in a clear monotone, "or were you just born that way?"

"You can talk!" Jessie blurted out in complete astonishment

The boy simply stared at her for a few moments, as if silently deliberating what to say next before speaking again. "I apologize."

"What?" Jessie blinked, getting slightly confused.

"If I knew that you meant to commit suicide, I would not have attempted to stop you." Blu continued on in his stoic prattle. "But there are more effective ways to die. Drowning in ice water still gives a fifteen minute leeway before the onset of irreversible brain damage…"

"Whoa! WHOA! STOP!" Jessie interrupted, finally recovering from her initial surprise. "I wasn't trying to kill myself. I was just looking for my harmonica."

"You would risk your life for a wind instrument?"

"It means a lot to me," Jessie replied

Blu stared at her expressionlessly, and cocked his head to one side, once again looking as if he was falling into some kind of internal monologue. Jessie turned away, starting to feel uncomfortable and finally getting her fill with the recent avalanche of weirdness in her life. She was not prepared to encounter any more. Somehow, she had been able to handle everything with relative calmness… but suddenly hearing the boy's soft spoken voice spout long sentences in a dignified monotonous 1940's war documentary style English accent after being led to believe he was mute all this time was… well… it was freaky!

"I see." Blu said with finality, interrupting her thoughts once again. "Then you must really be an idiot."

"It's my father's!" her voice rising defensively despite herself, Jessie turned to glare at him, "And don't you have anything better to do than--"

She stopped in her tracks as she realized that the boy was holding out something shiny in his hand towards her. She found herself staring at the object that was the cause of all the trouble. She took the instrument from his hands disbelievingly. She turned and inspected the cold object in her hands. Only upon seeing the familiar dents and scratches the instrument had acquired through all its years was she finally convinced that her Father's harmonica was truly in her hands. She looked at the boy in complete incredulity, "You had it all along?"

Blu shook his head as he pointed towards the direction of an area of the pond shoreline where the snow had recently been disturbed.

"You mean… you were looking for it all this time?" Jessie continued on, feeling completely bewildered at this point. "How did you find it?"

Blu blinked, "I looked. Over there."

Jessie's face contorted into a pained expression as she suppressed a snicker from escaping from her lips. "Okay, let's try this again." Jessie stated again, after regaining her composure. "I meant… why? Why did you look for it?"

"It was lost," The boy declared without any hesitation and stared at her blankly as if it was the most logical explanation in the world.

Jessie repressed the urge to laugh one more time as she stared back at this strange boy in disbelief. For some odd reason, Jessie had a weird sense of 'deja vu'. No… it was more like, something about the boy was nagging her to remember something. But before she could ponder longer, Blu moved and started to walk past her.

"HEY! Where are you going?" Jessie called out, instinctively following him.

"Over there," was the boy's muffled reply, not bothering to slow his pace.

Jessie didn't attempt to stop her laughter as she allowed herself to be carried along by the absurdity of the situation. She knew that he wasn't doing it on purpose. Perhaps it was also the rescuer-survivor bond that had formed between them because of her recent near-death experience. Whatever the reason was, she felt completely at ease with him, accompanied by feeling a sense of some kind of strange kinship with this equally strange boy. It was almost as if she suddenly found a long lost brother. It almost felt like… she found a piece of home.

"You know what," Jessie started as she matched his pace, determined to walk alongside him and not really caring where they were headed. "I think I'm starting to understand why you don't talk a lot…"

End of Chapter 1 Act 3  
(To be continued)

* * *

Author's squawk:

AUGH! Major MAJOR re-write. I can't believe how awful this chapter originally was. It was like reading a very very VERY horrible "Sweet Valley High" fanfic written by an nine-year-old. I'm so ashamed! My then very juvenile insight with life in general wasn't really able to paint a proper picture on who those two boys really are and what their relationship(s) meant to Jessie. Heh-heh… getting old is not that bad. I find that I can paint clearer pictures with my words now. And hopefully you agree…

If you're meeting the boys (and Jessie) for the first time in this alternative universe, thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoy your stay.For those of you who already read what is to come years ago… thank you for revisiting. I hope you're seeing this as a treat to watch the characters again with new eyes.

There you go! I have no beta reader for this second time around. Volunteers will be smothered with grateful hugs and kisses. Otherwise, if you find a grammar or spelling mistake… please feel free to contact me to point them out. Feel free to send comments, criticisms, and bottles of sweet Japanese plum wine… as offering for the muses, that is. Heh-heh… yes…

Ja!  
Ina-chan

Sept. 7, 2007

Thank you Goddess Evie for beta-ing! YAY! .

Ja!

Ina-chan


	4. Act I Part IV: Behkhadji

**STANDARD DISCLAIMER: **JQ characters belongs to HB. Non-JQ people are mine. Most of the places not familiar with JQ and actual real geography are due to the fact that this is an alternate Universe. While countries and territories are mostly historically accurate in the real world, there are also noted changes. Kannada native speakers, please forgive my preposterousness… feel free to suggest changes if you see stuff that badly need editing.

August 29, 2007

**Into the Valley of Darkness  
**_Chapter 1: In the Beginning...  
Act 4: Behkhadji_

_by Ina-chan_

_TAP-TAP-TAP-TAP..._

Angry footsteps thundered through the polished and exquisitely adorned halls, followed by panicked skittering footsteps behind it.

"Young Master... please... I beg you... his Excellency is in the middle of entertaining important guests..."

The servant's pleas were completely ignored as the doors opened with such force that they swung and slammed against the walls with a loud bang, causing the occupants of the room to look up with a start. Four important-looking people, who looked like they were enjoying a leisurely afternoon tea, stared at their intruder in surprised silence. The servants in the room curiously watched the tense situation from their posts.

As the image of the handsome and very angry young man finally registered in his mind, the oldest figure in the room let out a pained moan and made a small instinctive motion of looking up as if to ask for heavenly guidance.

A squeamish looking servant scurried precariously behind him and wrung his hands nervousely. "I tried to stop him Excellency... I told him that you were in the middle of entertaining guests..."

Deepak Karnataka, the current Prime Minister of the New Republic of India, was known through the country as an old wolf. His quiet and sedate demeanor always gave people the impression that he was simply a quiet old man.

But everyone who knew his role in Bengarulu's history was aware that the quiet old wolf could turn into a cunning and menacing predator when push came to shove. Fortunately, his killer instincts were rather slow to surface, just as his anger. Often times, people were caught completely unaware when the wolf would suddenly go for the kill. Those around him had learned to recognize the symptoms of his anger.

"Behkhadji, I see that you have safely arrived home."

It was a well known fact, that when Deepak called one of his wards by their full name that was usually a good indication that the old man was keeping his infamous temper in check. Behkhadji... Hadji, in his apparent fury, was either completely unaware or simply chose to ignore the signal.

He fearlessly raised his chin and even dared to stare at his uncle accusingly, "And I thank you for the kind 'welcome', Kakka."

"You are being excessively rude, Daayaadi," Vikram, who unlike his father, had not perfected the ability to harness his anger, jumped in, glaring at his younger cousin venomously.

For the past ten years, Deepak had been molding the two boys with the hope that either one would show promise in the political stage that their family had played a role for many generations. But Hadji's idealistic views and Vikram's no-nonsense businesslike demeanor, not to mention the unspoken sibling rivalry between the two young men, had gnawed at Deepak's patience throughout the years. It was a story he was all too familiar with, after all. He and his brother, Haresh, first walked down that path the same way as many of their ancestors who chose political life as part of their duty and their birthright.

Deepak sympathized with his son. Jealous tensions had often broke out between himself and his brother in their youth. Haresh was more charming, more charismatic, and always had the best ideas. So when they both decided that they would take that familiar road to politics as many Karnataka sons had before them, there was little doubt that Haresh's career would eventually lead him to the position that Deepak currently held… perhaps even to Presidency.

Of course, that fateful day in Geneva changed that. While a nation mourned the loss of a great leader, Deepak was pushed onto a political stage that was ready to fall apart at the seams. In turn, it also prematurely propelled his very young nephew to the public light. Partly fueled by Haresh's martyrdom and partly fueled by a brilliant propaganda movement, at age six, Behkhadji Karnataka's life as an ordinary boy quietly died as he was resurrected as a national living icon. A propaganda, that also conveniently solidify Deepak's place in Indian politics.

His many years of experience in Indian politics showed Deepak that the weight he inevitably put on his nephew's shoulders was more of a burden than the important honor the young man was made to believe. Unfortunately, insight brought by years of life's experiences was something his son, Vikram, lacked. And the unmistakable envy that Vikram had for his younger cousin seemed to bring about these situations at the worst possible moment. Hadji, being equally immature, was easily baited into his older cousin's traps.

"Rude? Is that all you have to say for yourself, Daayadi?" Hadji retorted, as he strode closer, "Kolkata… a great injustice just happened there that I could have helped prevent! Instead, I get put on house arrest and was not allowed to speak out when I could have been a valuable witness?"

"What happened in Kolkata was a tragedy, but our personnel acted appropriately according to the protocol of the situation," Vikram replied dismissively with a wave of a hand before continuing in a sarcastic tone. "As for your so-called house arrest, don't make me laugh Daayadi. It was far from that. You should be thankful of the measures we take to ensure your safety despite giving in to your selfishness. God forbid, it would be a national disaster if something happened to you."

"Me? What happened there had nothing to do with me! Twenty-five people were sentenced to be executed without a proper trial," Hadji retorted angrily.

"They were found with the possession of damning evidence," Vikram countered. "For the sake of maintaining peace, we need to do what must be done to show the public the crimes committed by these terrorists."

"Terrorists? Crimes? Who are you to act as judge and executioner? Innocent until proven guilty. That's why we have a judicial system in effect, Daayadi." Hadji retorted angrily. "Those people were deprived of a proper trial…"

"And waste time and more of the taxpayers money to allow these terrorist's comrades to roam free without repercussion?" Vikram laughed harshly as he eyed the younger man with a condescending glare. "May I remind you, daayadi, that the world is at war? While you dream of that perfect utopia, more and more of our brothers fall in the hands of the enemy? During these dire times, you need to cut a diseased branch before it infects the entire tree."

Hadji ground his teeth and clenched his fists, unable to find the words to counter his cousin as his temper finally started to get the better of him.

Vikram, sensing victory, smiled triumphantly. "Now I suggest that you turn around and go to your quarters like a good boy before you embarrass yourself further."

"And what if they were innocent?" The young man challenged in a last minute attempt to regain his ground.

"Daayaadi, watch your tongue. You almost sound like you are accusing the Paladin Command of something…" Vikram raised an eyebrow, as he looked toward their guests from the corner of his eye. "It would be a great scandal if people were to misunderstand that Bengaluru's favorite son was rumored to be a terrorist sympa---"

"ENOUGH! THE BOTH OF YOU!" Deepak finally bellowed angrily over the display.

It was one thing to argue about the moral and ethical implications of their actions. Openly attacking the Karnataka Family's loyalty to the Order was something he could not allow. Deepak gave his son a poisonous reprimanding glare, causing the young man to flinch and lower his eyes in shame, before turning his gaze to his nephew. Hadji stubbornly refused to be intimidated, simply staring back at his uncle impassively and unapologetically.

The angry furrow on Deepak's forehead dug deeper. But the old man knew to pick his battles. He gave his nephew another reproachful glower, as if to promise repercussions for his actions later. "It's bad enough that the both of you would go after each other's necks with each opportunity. Now you go and embarrass our family in front of important guests."

"It's quite all right," a feminine voice spoke out in an amused tone. "It's not like they interrupted an important meeting. It is actually quite refreshing to see the Young Master, who is normally calm and collected, being so passionate."

Deepak grunted as his son simply forced a smile before giving his younger cousin another silent, spiteful glare.

It was only then that Hadji finally noticed a familiar beautiful young, Asian woman, peering at him in amusement over her cup of Darjeeling tea. Her long, silky, ebony hair, tucked behind one ear as it flowed generously over one shoulder, contrasted against the cream and gold-trimmed hue of her Salwar suit. Beside her was another young woman with identical features.

Unlike her sister, the second young woman's stony expression showed that she did not share her sister's amusement with his outburst. Then again the latter was known more for her strict sense of business than her sense of humor. Her dark hair was up in its familiar tight bun, and despite this being an "informal" visit, she still wore her military dress uniform. The bronze buttons on her collar and the insignia on her left breast pocket announced her rank as the highest official of the New Order Militia.

"Ana---!" Hadji's eyes widened in surprise, but he managed to bite his tongue before he could show more disrespect to their important guests. Still caught between his rage and mortification, Hadji could only stiffen his back as he gave the two women an apologetic bow. "I apologize for my behaviour, Lady Anaya... Lady Melana. Please excuse my rudeness."

With that, the young man turned around and left the room with what was left of his dignity. The skittish servant bowed ruefully as Hadji passed the doors. Deepak shot his son another condescending glare.

The young man recoiled visibly before bowing his head towards the two women before him and mumbling. "I, too, apologize my Ladies. My behaviour was... unacceptable."

"It does not matter..." Melana began only to be cut off as her sister started laughing. Melana raised an eyebrow, "Do you find anything humorous, sister?"

Anaya pushed strands of dark long hair from her face and dabbed her eyes as she composed herself. "Not really, sister. But if you would excuse me… Lord Vikram, and your Excellency... Thank you for the tea and the wonderful company. I'm afraid the day's travel is finally getting the better of me."

Vikram instantly got on his feet, "Then, I shall have one of the servants accompany you to your room."

Anaya laughed again, "There's no need. I have visited these grounds enough times since I was a child to know my way around. I'd like to take a short stroll through the gardens for some fresh air, only if that is alright?"

"Of course, Lady Anaya. As I told your Father many years ago, consider the Karnataka Main House your home as well," Deepak stated pleasantly.

"Shall I accompany you through the gardens…" Vikram began again.

"Thank you, but if you don't mind, Lord Vikram, I do prefer to take my walks alone." Anaya interrupted again in a significant tone.

Vikram forced another smile, bowed politely and sat back in his seat awkwardly after the young woman made her way across the room. The nervous servant waiting by the door gave her another courteous bow as she passed through the door. Melana simply stared at her sister's retreating figure impassively as she sipped her cup of tea.

"As we were talking before we were interrupted…" Deepak began as he cleared his throat and made a small motion with his hand. The skittish servant bowed to the occupants of the room and closed the massive doors.

* * *

The serenity of the gardens always calmed him… from the sight of the branches of the flamboyant Gulmohar swinging in the breeze to the delicate sweet scents of the Jasmines in full bloom.

When he was old enough to be sent away for his primary schooling, or during the various long stays required for public appearances with his family, and his recent admission to military school, the only thing that truly made him miserable was the fact that he missed the gardens at home.

Not that there weren't any gardens in the places he went or was sent to. They were simply not the same as the gardens at home. Nothing compared to Bengaluru's gardens. It was India's Garden City after all.

Though this particular garden was special. It was Neela's garden, his mother's. Of course, the gardeners had taken over its care long after his mother had passed away. However, Chaman, the senior gardener, who had already been serving his family before his father was even born, tried to keep this spot the same way as Neela liked it.

Hadji's remaining happy memories of his childhood were always in this garden. There was an old, weatherworn ornamental boulder overlooking a small serene man-made fishpond at the corner. It was partly veiled by the shade of the overhanging vines and flowers of white, bright blue and purple Butterfly Peas that bloomed in the late summer. It was a special spot he had claimed as his own since he was a child. Whenever he needed a solitary and quiet place, people simply needed to look at that spot in Neela's garden to find him.

A solitary and quiet place to calm his nerves was something that he always found he needed after confrontations with his cousin. He never really understood why. Since they were children, Hadji always felt that Vikram held something against him. All attempts to make peace or win him over failed and every interaction with the older man always ended in a heated round of verbal jousting.

There was, however, one occasion when Vikram was fourteen, when their verbal argument escalated into a brawl. Of course, it never happened again. At age nine, Hadji had proved that he shared his uncle's ferocity, which Vikram could not match despite being five years older and twice the younger boy's size.

As Hadji sat cross-legged on his boulder, he closed his eyes, took a deep cleansing breath and tried to clear his mind and calm his heart from the anger gnawing away at the corners of his consciousness. Strands that managed to get away from his neatly bound dark long hair swayed gently with the rhythm of the cool breeze.

But the meditation technique that usually calmed him could not bring the relaxed state he craved. He opened his eyes and made a fist. Every time he closed his eyes, he couldn't help remembering what had happened four days past… his part in it... or more like his inability to do something about it.

The main reason why he wanted to join the military was because of his desire to serve his country and take part in what many young men in his country had been doing. He wasn't blind or naïve so as to not understand that his social status prevented him from doing what regular boys his age would do. He always hated it. How everything he did or he was involved with needed to first pass his uncle's advisors' scrutiny.

In fact, just the simple choice of wanting to join the military was met with an overwhelming amount of resistance from his Uncle and his advisors. While Hadji's nationalism would obviously win the favour of the people, allowing him to take such an occupation that would put his life in danger was not an option.

Then again, it was also inevitable that there was nothing his Uncle, his advisors, or anyone could do when Hadji turned seventeen. By then he would be eligible to enter the military with or without his uncle's permission. Anaya even already made special arrangements induct him as a reserve officer in the elite New Order Paladin Command. It was already expected that he would officially earn a special rank with the Paladin Command by the time he finished his official military training. In the end, his uncle gave in to the young man's will by the compromise of allowing his admission to military school.

But who knew that a simple school excursion could shake his resolve?

Four days ago, he and a small group of students from his class had embarked on an earned, special school trip to observe an actual military procedure. It was supposed to be a simple, boring scouting mission that became an unfortunate tragedy that faced national scrutiny. The media painted a damning portrait of hardcore terrorists threatening national security. But what Hadji witnessed was far from that grim portrait.

All he saw were young men and women all close to his age who were supposedly innocent until proven guilty and depended on the fair judgment of the Sovereign, herded like sheep and sent to the slaughter. And all he could do was to allow the military and school officials to lead him and his classmates away before the media came and got wind of his presence there. It was no coincidence that the students involved in the trip were exempted from finals and discharged from school almost two weeks early before the term holidays.

Worst of all, soon after the incident Hadji found himself being unceremoniously shipped to an isolated in one of the family vacation houses without word of explanation or contact with the outside world for three days. The next thing he knew, he was hearing the sensational news of how a group of terrorists had been caught and sentenced to death after a suspicious and uncharacteristically efficient trial. Hadji buried his face in his hands, letting his frustrations and anger get the better of him.

"I figured you would be sulking here."

"I'm not in the mood… don't you think I've been through enough humiliation without your goading?" Hadji murmured in defeat, not bothering to look up.

"Now, you're just being rude," Anaya stated, parroting Vikram's tone. "Here I am, taking precious time out of my busy schedule just to see you and you haven't even noticed my new outfit."

"I'm serious! It's been a very long day…" Hadji replied miserably.

Anaya studied the young man for a few moments before walking casually around the edge of the pond. "This isn't like you. What happened to the ferocious tiger cub who put Vikram in his place?"

"'Vikram'" Hadji looked up and raised an eyebrow at her. "Since when have you been on a first name basis?"

"Jealous?" Anaya teased playfully.

Hadji snorted. "Like he would even last an hour alone with yo---"

_---SWIIIIISH---_

"HEY!" Hadji cried out indignantly as he dodged out of the way of a makeshift switch that swished at the spot where his head was supposed to be by rolling off the boulder in one quick motion. He crouched in a combat stance as his dark eyes glared in annoyance his opponent. "What do you think are you doing?"

"Good. I see that you have been practicing. I certainly hope this is going to be more of a challenge than the last time," Anaya declared haughtily, raising the slender branch expertly in her hand as if she were holding a fencing rapier instead, as she circled him cautiously.

"You'll ruin your new outfit," Hadji countered as he followed her suit.

"Then I'll just have you buy me a new one," Anaya countered casually. "But knowing your track record… I'm not even worried about breaking a sweat, Raja."

"I really wish you'd stop calling me that," The young man replied irritably then frowned, "Do you not think that I have outgrown that ridiculous nick name?"

"Not as ridiculous as your hair!" The young woman laughed as she dramatically flipped her own long hair, "Your hair is probably even longer than mine. How they managed to let you get away with that in school is beyond me."

"You know that's..." The young man replied automatically

"AGH! I can't believe how gullible you are! Why do you listen and believe the stupid things I tell you and don't think about the ones that are pure common sense?" Anaya rolled her eyes as she threw the switch behind her. She smiled mischievously in challenge, "I hope you haven't changed your beliefs about sparring with a lady?"

"You? A lady?" Hadji replied in mock disbelief.

Anaya simply laughed as she attacked, "You are really making it very difficult for your cousin to like you."

_Dodge. Block. Parry. Block. Dodge._

"No loss. I don't like him either."

_Jab. Parry. Punch. Kick. Kick. Backfist._

"Is that all you practiced? To block and to dodge? Are you trying to dance your opponent to death? I agree that Vikram acts like he has a stick stuck up his behind, but he has more experience working for your Uncle's office. It pays to stop and listen once and a while to your elders."

The young man raised another eyebrow. "First you refer to him casually, then you defend him… is there something you're not telling me?"

_Block. Kick. Kick. Kick. Jab. Punch. PUNCH..._

Anaya laughed again. "Careful Raja, deny all you want… but you're really starting to sound suspiciously jealous." DODGE. "But I admit…" _Block. Block._ "It's…" _PUNCH._ "…cute."

"Cute?" Hadji glared at her in disbelief. _Block._ **"CUTE?!"** _Block. Grab_

Anaya gasped and stared at the young man above her incredulously as the impossible registered in her mind. With a sudden burst of uncharacteristic sped and strength, Hadji was able to trap her arms in an unbreakable hold and grapple her unceremoniously to the ground.

"Bravo," Anaya huffed as she caught her breath. "Who knew this moment would come?"

"I'm no longer a scrawny eight-year-old that you can bully around," Hadji replied smugly.

"I can see that," Anaya replied with a coy smile.

As if suddenly realizing their compromising position, Hadji's eyes widened and he froze for a split second. But that split second was all she needed to regain her advantage. Before the young man knew it, Anaya managed to break loose of his hold and lock his arms painfully behind his back. "Raja, Raja, Raja… what have they been teaching you in that school of yours? Or were you sleeping during your classes?" Her playfulness gone, her voice laced with annoyance and disappointment.

Hadji could only clench his teeth to keep himself from crying out loud as she made her point with various painful tugs. When Anaya finally released him, his arms felt like they were on fire and he could have sworn she probably had dislocated both shoulders. But all the pain was forgotten as he saw her standing over him with her hands on her hips.

"When it comes to combat, it doesn't matter if the opponent in front of you is a man, woman or child." Anaya scolded with a hard expression on her face such that Hadji could easily have mistaken the person standing in front of him as her sister. "If this were as a real battle, you'd be dead. You don't let your personal feelings or inhibitions get the better of you."

"You made your point," Hadji grimaced. The tone of her voice hit him harder than the physical pain she inflicted on him. He rubbed his shoulders painfully as he sprawled back on the ground. "I'm not built to be a soldier like you."

"As usual, you think the worst of yourself. That's not what I meant at all." Anaya sighed as she sat cross-legged on the spot just above his head. "You have the tendency to belittle your importance. I doubt that your uncle will admit it aloud, but the main reason why he has so much influence over your country is, arguably, because you exist. The people support him because of you."

"The people support him because of the memory of my father." Hadji protested. "It has nothing to do with me. Let's face it. I haven't really done anything worthwhile. I'm really more like a living monument than a real person to a lot of people. My uncle and his advisors simply want to pull my strings so I can dance to whatever tune they play. I can't even do a good job with that. I can't keep my mouth shut and follow orders."

"Idiot. You make it sound like that's a bad thing. Loyalty is not the same as blind loyalty." Anaya argued, her features softening. "But you do have to learn when and where to choose your battles. A hot-blooded soldier who blindly runs into the battlefield unprepared won't survive for long."

"I already know that. It's just…" Hadji let out a long sigh and rubbed his eyes. "I'm just tired… angry… frustrated. Tired. For just once, I want to be able to do something without one of Kakka's advisors looking over my shoulder."

"Well… I think I can do something about that…" Anaya began as she nudged his shoulders playfully. "A great idea just occurred to me."

Hadji looked up at her only to see that familiar mischievous twinkle once again present in her eyes. All at once, he couldn't help feeling a sense of excitement laced with a twinge of fear whenever he saw that expression. He eyed her suspiciously, "This isn't going to be like that great idea you had during the Parliament Banquet…"

"What? No! I can't believe you still haven't forgiven me for that! That was more than seven years ago!" Anaya scowled, looking genuinely offended. "You don't really have anything scheduled for the next couple of weeks, right?"

"No," Hadji replied, frowning a little. "They'd probably try to keep me hidden until the whole Kolkata incident blows over."

"Then come with me to New London! It doesn't have to be an official trip. We can make it look like you'll be accompanying me as a personal guard as a member of the Paladin Reserve Forces." Anaya proposed excitedly. "You're not a public icon in New London like you are here. So if we keep your departure quiet, you can walk around as freely as you like. The media usually stays out of our way, so even if you get recognized, as long as they know you're in official business with me, you'll be left alone. Alright! It's settled then! Pack your bags. We'll be leaving in two days…"

"Wait!" Hadji sat up grabbing her shoulders to slow her down. "What makes you think that they'll let me go just like that?"

Anaya gave him an offended glare. "Who do you think are you talking to? I mean yes, your uncle's advisors will be completely against it… but your uncle can never say no to any of my personal requests. If I insist that I wish you to be my personal guard, not even your President will say no."

"That's not what I meant." Hadji sighed. "Aren't you forgetting another person who would be completely against this?"

"I'm sure I can change their mind otherwise!" Anaya countered confidently.

"Your sister?" Hadji replied, giving her a knowing look. "I'm not exactly her favourite person in the world."

"You'll be accompanying me, not her." Anaya rolled her eyes before nudging his shoulders again playfully. "Admit it, it's a great idea. It'll just be like old times. It's been a long time since we spent more than day together."

"I'll think about it," Hadji replied non-committally, despite knowing that there really was nothing he could do once the young woman made her mind up about something.

"There's nothing to think about." Anaya scoffed. "It's decided. I'll speak to your uncle this evening and you can make preparations to leave…"

"You…" Hadji let out an annoyed snort before spreading out his arms and lying back on the ground again in defeat. "I wish you'd stop treating me like that. I'm old enough to decide for myself."

"Eh? Is little Raja saying that he doesn't want to spend any of his precious time with his big sister Anaya?" Anaya pouted playfully as she bent over him.

"I didn't say that," Hadji replied, even more annoyed. "I do want to spend time with you. But not if you're going to keep treating me like I'm still eight."

Anaya's features softened as her mischievous tone fell into a soft whisper. "And just how do you want me to treat you?"

The young man didn't reply. Instead, he reached out with both hands and caressed the young woman's face. Anaya gave him a small smile as she rested her palms on either side of his head as she shifted into a more comfortable position to bend over him even closer, her long hair veiling over their faces like a curtain.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." a voice called out blandly.

Hadji automatically sat up in surprise, his forehead catching Anaya's chin with a loud undignified crack. Through the tears watering his eyes, Hadji was able to make out Melana's silhouette looking down at them in that all too familiar stoically bored manner of hers that always made him make sure that there wasn't any mud on his shoes.

"If you don't mind, Lord Behkhadji, I'd like to have a private word with my sister," Melana continued without skipping a beat.

The last thing he wanted was to be caught in a compromising position with Anaya… most of all, by her sister. Trying to ignore the pain and the ringing in his ears, he quickly got on his feet and for the second time, tried to collect what's left of his dignity as he faced the other Zin daughter. "Then please excuse me Lady Melana… Lady Anaya."

Both sisters watched the young man leave silently before Anaya glared at her sister as she nursed her own injury. Melana simply quietly stared back at her impassively, though Anaya could sense the hint of accusation behind her sister's silence. She got on her feet and brushed the invisible dirt from the seat of her pants, as she muttered, "You weren't sorry at all."

"Excuse me?" Melana shot back with a raised eyebrow, finally allowing her expression to betray her annoyance.

Anaya sighed. "Why can't you learn to let your hair down once in a while?"

"Then please forgive me. Paying attention to love sick school boys is not on the top of my list of priorities at the moment," Melana countered. "Which I might add is definitely not one of your wiser impulsive decisions."

"Unlike some people, my heart is not made of stone encased in a vat of liquid nitrogen," Anaya retorted in a huff.

"And some people just never learn," Melana replied meaningfully. "Or do you get some morbid pleasure out of being betrayed?"

Anaya simply glared at her sister.

"All I am saying is that boy is just going to complicate matters," Melana shrugged.

"I'm a little surprised, sister. I thought you'd be more sympathetic knowing first hand what Hadji is going through." Anaya looked at her playfully.

"Just make sure this... complication does not… interfere." Melana looked at her levelly. "We've already wasted time enough as it is with this ridiculous side trip. If the target moves again, I'll hold you personally responsible."

Anaya glanced at her in surprise, "You mean… you actually found…"

"Not yet. But we have an idea. Unfortunately, it's a green zone. So we must tread carefully. Richmond County. Where that international private school is." Melana replied.

"I see," Anaya nodded, a smile lighting her face once again, "Don't worry, I'll handle it myself."

Melana gave her sister another meaningful look.

"Grow up, will you?" Anaya rolled her eyes in annoyance before striding away.

End of Chapter One  
To be continued

* * *

Author's squawk:

And that concludes the introduction of the four main players of this story.

I thought this Act was the one that will go most untouched in this chapter… Boy, was I wrong! This one had the BIGGEST re-write! I didn't want to saturate people about Hadji's family history and turn this measly little act into a novel by itself… but here's a quick background, because I don't think I'll incorporate the stuff I will note here in later chapters or side stories anyway.

This chapter is a tribute to many things in the JQ Universe and fandom. . First of all… "Bloodlines". How I hate that episode! In this alternate universe, I still played with the "Bloodlines" idea… but instead of going for the Aladdin-esque theme for Bangalore… I opted for the real world Bangalore or "Bengaluru" as how the city is called in India. (On a side note, Kolkata is how Calcutta is called in India… but is it the same city as we know it? Who knows?). Yes… the Indian Silicon Valley and the City of Gardens is intact. And instead of a kingdom, as you may have noticed, I opted for India's Sovereign Socialist Democratic Parliamentary Republic (God, I hope I got it right!)…

Deepak and Haresh are not royalty, but I did hint that they may have descended from the ancient chieftain families of Karnataka (thus the reason why I adapted the region as their family name as how Indians of olden yore traditionally chose their last names as their village of origin).

The brothers came from a prominent family of politicians. Before Haresh died, he was one of more popular members of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Parliament of India… i.e. "The House of the People"… please correct me if I'm wrong, but is comparable to what the Congress is in the US and the House of Commons in Canada.). Haresh was also envisioned to have a promising future in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house, also known as the Council of States, of which the 12 members are appointed by the President of India) later in his career. Some would even say that his popularity would eventually have pushed him to Presidency. But of course, it was not to be because Haresh is one of the fatalities martyred in Geneva.

Hadji grew up in a very sheltered, full of idealistic ideas and essentially, a complete opposite of the street-smart, wise beyond his years Hadji of the real JQ timeline. Anaya and Melana have more dimensions in their personalities compared to the first run of the fic (I hope).

Since this Hadji is so different, I figured he needed a "different" name. It just feels wrong to change Hadji's personality. So this Hadji is actually named "Behkhadji". Which is also a tribute to Daria Brooks, a JQMLer very early on, who created this name for Hadji in one of her fanfics… and alongside Mama Meach, successfully opened my eyes and broadened my horizons about the beauty of CJQ. .

In this re-write… I'm kinda eyeing to see if I can use Meach's original character (Will) in the story somewhere. If Meach gives me her permission that is…

I also scrapped the use of Urdu as Hadji's language from the original story. Instead, they are speaking Kannada, which is the dialect spoken in the southern regions of Karnataka. Not that it matters since I only used 3 words. Kakka means "uncle". Daayadi means "cousin". Raja means "prince".

This is really fun! I can't believe I'm writing JQ again! .

Ja!  
Ina-chan

Sept. 7, 2007

Thanks to Goddess Evie for beta-ing!

Ja!  
Ina-chan


	5. Act II Part I: Foreshadowing

Disclaimer: JQ belongs to HB. Used w/o permission. Story idea and non JQ characters belong to Ina-chan. No money made.

21 January 2008

**Into the Valley of Darkness  
Chapter 2 Act 1:**_ Foreshadowing_  
By Ina-chan

It became an after-school routine to walk through the path towards a familiar solitary home in the woods. She actually started to enjoy the daily hikes. At first, she walked through the trail, hurrying after her new friend. But as she got more familiar with the path, she started traveling through the woods in her own pace.

In a way, it reminded her of the happier times of her childhood. She didn't have a lot of memories of how life was before the war started, but what she did remember were scenes played out in the rough surrounded by nature. Childhood memories with her father were nature hikes and camping trips. Childhood memories of her mother were frolicking carefree in the Brazillian rain forest while her mother was knee-deep in an archeological site … if Estella Velasquez wasn't in the University.

That's the reason why Jessie was quite annoyed that she couldn't enjoy the crisp winter air playfully ruffling her short bob. Or the serene beauty of the sleeping trees underneath the undisturbed layers of ice and snow. Unable to contain her irritation any longer, she turned around and crossed her arms.

"Will you stop following me," She glared irritably at the boy standing a safe distance behind her.

John paused and started looking around him innocently. Seeing no one, he pointed to himself in mock surprise. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Jessie growled, her annoyance growing by the minute. "How many idiots do you think are trailing behind me?"

"I'm not following you," John replied innocently. "Just because we're going towards the same direction does not mean that I'm following you. Unless, you're actually luring me to follow you… JESSIE! I'M SHOCKED! What will your father think? You're lucky that I'm not that kind of guy."

"You….!" Jessie growled again, her eyes darting around her to search for something to throw at him. Instead she closed her eyes, turned around, took a deep breath and started to walk forward once again. But not before shooting another venomous scowl over her shoulder. "STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

"What's the big deal, anyway?" John called out after her, matching her pace but maintaining a relatively safe distance as he nonchalantly put his hands on the nape of neck. "Unless you're trying to hide something. It's not a secret meeting with a boy, is it? You know very well that all potential boyfriends will have to meet my approval in Race's absence…"

"WHAT!?!" Jessie cried out as she turned around to face the boy once again. "Of all the stupid idiotic things… and what greater power decided to assign you as my caretaker?"

"Jessie, I'm hurt," John replied in mock anguish. "Here I am, looking after your welfare out of the kindness of my heart. Despite how you see me now, Jessie, I still see ourselves as friends. And that's what friends do, Jessie. Friends care. Friends look out for each other."

"Oh get off it!" Jessie spat out irrritably. "You're just doing this to drive me crazy!"

John sighed, a mock nostalgic expression crossing his features. "I remember there was a time when I drove you crazy… and you liked it."

"And which alternate reality is that?" Jessie demanded. "You're worse than a cockroach. Just go away and leave me alone."

"Face it Jess, if you really wanted me to go away, you would have gotten rid of me a long time ago." John remarked confidently.

"Today has been a good day. I won't allow you to ruin it," the girl stated with a sigh of defeat. "So fine. If you want to follow me like the perverted stalker that you are, you can do whatever you want."

"Reverse psychology isn't going to get rid of me either," the boy added without missing a beat.

"ARGH!" Jessie screamed as she threw her arms up in the air in complete exasperation. "**GO HOME!!!!**"

"What the blazes are going on out there? You could probably hear that racket from right across the entire County!" An equally perplexed voice bellowed after the girl's cry.

Jessie made an unconscious flinch before giving the boy a 'see-what-you-made-me-do-but-just-wait-I'll-get-you back' look before turning around to rush towards the direction of the voice. John hurried to follow her rate, only to stop with a start as he realized their path was actually heading towards a small rustic looking home in the middle of nowhere. And sitting right on the porch is a petite raven-haired woman on a wheelchair, nursing a steaming mug in her hands as she eyed the two new comers irritably.

"I'm sorry Abby, but a pest followed me and refused to go away," Jessie stated apologetically.

"Jason's still up at the clinic." Abby remarked as she maneuvered herself around to let her through the door. "You go in and help yourself to some fresh hot cocoa to get yourself warm. Your friend is welcome to stay as well, if he feels like it."

"He's not my friend," Jessie stated sourly as she shot John a look that indicated that he's not welcome to stay at all.

Abby raised an eyebrow at the display.

"I know you." John suddenly spoke, all trace of his earlier mischief gone as bewilderment completely covered his face. He raised a trembling finger as he pointed at the older woman excitedly. "Lady Abigail Harcourt!"

* * *

"Report."

"Target sighted and verified."

"Excellent. Permission granted to proceed as planned."

"Negative. Potential complications noted. Target not alone. Target currently with unidentified male and female. Sending images now. Instructions?"

"… … …"

"An-ya? Are you alright in there?" A voice called out softly, accompanying the nervous knock at the door.

"Stand by."

Anaya frowned as she put her communicator on standby and placed it on top of the vanity dresser. She glared at the door through the reflection on her mirror, as if hoping that the person behind it will feel the weight of her annoyance. "Raja, you know its very rude to disturb a lady while she's getting ready."

"I know, I'm sorry…" Hadji's sheepish voice replied in a loud apologetic tone, before dropping again to the softer hushed tone. "But you're taking too long. The Ambassador is already in the waiting room with Melana. You know she can't stand the old man. Your sister already looked like she was ready to pull out a gun on the nearest convenient target."

Despite herself, Anaya snickered. "Coward."

"Go against your sister? Better to run away to live another day." Hadji retorted.

"And you call yourself a man?" Anaya teased.

"I'd like to keep what's left of my manhood before you sister eats it for dinner along with the rest of her victims, thank you very much."

"I'll come out soon… You wanted to earn a few more points to get on her good side. Here's the perfect opportunity. Just go and help Melana charm the Ambassador."

"You do realize that you're asking a lot, right?"

"Well…" Anaya drawled mischievously. She could almost see the the young man's face crumpling in distate based on the tone of his voice that she couldn't help pushing a little, "…you could always come in and help me get dressed… if you prefer to do that instead."

"… … …"

A genuine smile curled the corner of her lips at the sound of silence from the other side of the door. "Raja? Are you alright out there?"

"I hate you." Came the boy's muffled reply before the sound of footsteps shuffling away.

Anaya allowed an amused giggle to escape from her lips before her eyes fell on the sight of the red standby light blinking insistently from the dresser wiped the smile away from her features. The expression on her face instantly hardened, as she picked up the device and turned the microphone on.

"Withdraw. Delay operation until further notice."

With that she cut off the communications device without waiting for the other speaker's reply. Her finger then automatically slid across the sensitive screen to reveal the image sent to her.

"My, my…" Anaya whispered in amusement as she stared at the digital photograph. With that she threw the instrument in front of her in disdain as she blew at the errant strand of hair that escaped her chignon and strayed over her eyes. "Life is just full of little complications, aren't they?"

Her reflection simply gave her an amused silent smile in reply.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Jessie eyed John suspiciously as she nibbled on a biscuit, "You KNOW her?"

"Hey! What's with that tone? You're not the only one who has important contacts, you know." John retorted obviously offended, before turning to the older woman in a more polite demeanor. "But what I can't believe is that I would actually meet you here in all places. My mother always admired you and your work with the Foundation. She really took it hard when you resigned and disappeared from the face of the Earth. Why did you disappear in the first place?"

"As you grow older, my boy, you'll learn that life is fond with giving burdens that appear more than once could bear at the time being. Sometimes, I feel that I had bitten off more than my share," Abby chuckled as she tapped her handrests of her chair significantly. "Sometimes, one needs to answer the call to run away from the world when it gets too overwhelming to save one's sanity. I'd have to say that Blu was a very convenient distraction at the time. Nonetheless, he saved my life in more ways than one. You're aware of my nephew's… special needs… on top of his familial connections. I realized that the only way he can live a normal life is to have a life away from our liniege."

"Speaking of which… I can't believe that you're Blu's aunt. You look nothing like each other." John interjected.

"He's really my late husband's nephew," Abby replied a-matter-of-factly before she sipped her hot drink.

"I don't want to sound nosy," Jessie began, her curiousity getting the better of her.  
"But are Blu's parents important?"

Abby simply gave her another meaningful smile. "It doesn't really matter here, does it?"

"No," Jessie replied, instantly reflecting at her own situation. "I suppose not…"

"Where are his parents?" John asked, insensitively.

Jessie shot him a warning look.

Abby took another sip from her mug before answering, "Geneva."

John's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation, as he started to stir the contents of his cup uncomfortably.

Abby smiled weakly, "Enough of that. It has been a long time, hasn't it? I haven't spoken to your mother or father for the last five years. So tell me, how are your parents doing?"

It was John's turn to look grim this time.

Jessie shifted on her seat awkwardly.

"My mother..." John began slowly, "My mother passed away three years ago."

Abby's expression fell, "Oh dear. I'm so sorry to hear that. How is your father taking this?"

Jessie watched John's jaw line harden instinctively at the question. She instantly turned to the older woman, "It's his eyes, isn't it?"

Abby raised an eyebrow as she looked at the girl in confusion.

"Blu, his nickname," Jessie explained, "It's because of the shade of his eyes, right?"

John snorted.

Abby chuckled in amusement.

"Well, isn't it?" Jessie asked uneasily at the older woman's reaction

"Actually," Abby began, "It started when Jason was younger, he was an accident waiting to happen. One time, he managed to spill an entire gallon of methyalene blue all over himself. Couldn't wash the bloody dye off for a week. The name just stuck with him since then."

John snickered, and Jessie shot him another annoyed glance.

The boy looked around, "Why isn't he home yet, anyway?"

Abby frowned a bit, "He likes being in Dr. Ross' clinic, that he sometimes loses track of time. Not that I'm ungrateful. You can't ask for a better father figure than Nate… but still, Jason should be back from now."

"He likes to help out with Dr. Ross," Jessie shot the boy an annoyed look, anticipating as if to prevent him from issuing a sarcastic comment.

"I already know that," John replied, equally irritated, "Why are you always all gaga over him any way? You're like a mother always fawning over a helpless two-year-old. Are you developing some kind of weird Oedipal fetish or what?"

"Keep your disgusting fantasies to yourself!" Jessie retorted in revulsion as she threw a biscuit at him.

Abby laughed good naturedly, instantly sobering the two teen-ager's moods before things turned sour.

"Thank you," Abby said quietly, "For being so kind to my nephew. I know he's had some difficulties... That would be quite an understatement, won't it? Making friends had never been easy for him. But seeing the two of you…"

"I sort of understand what Blu is going through. Making friends was never easy for me either. It was almost a relief to meet him." Jessie gave the older woman a shy smile. "Besides, if it weren't for Blu, I wouldn't even be here."

John turned away and frowned at the girl's comment before clearing his throat, "I'd hate to be a party pooper, but I think we have to get going soon."

"Yes," Abby agreed, "Dawn sets on faster these days. I would feel more comfortable if you go back to your dorm with company, specially that Blu is not here to accompany you back."

The boy's frown furrowed even deeper on his forehead upon hearing the older woman's remark.

Jessie eyed her companion with amusement and did all her can to force her mirth from reflecting on her face. "It's alright Abby. I can take care of myself."

"Like anyone would dare cross the devil's spawn anyway," John intoned significantly, but turned to the older woman with a charming smile before Jessie could even react. "It's great to see you Abby."

Abby smiled back, "Can I depend on seeing more of you as well?"

John nodded then turned to the other girl, "You sure you don't want to go back with me?"

Jessie simply gave him a scathing glare.

John shrugged and started to walk out, "I'm giving you five minutes to change your mind, then I'm leaving you behind."

"I would prefer if you take the young gentleman's offer," Abby said seriously

Jessie smirked, "John is NOT a gentleman."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Abby commented knowingly with a raised brow.

The red head looked away uncomfortably but made a nonchalant shrug, "Look, I just wanted to give you this without him knowing."

The older woman took the flat object from the girl's hands with a puzzled expression.

Jessie shrugged again, "Just think of it as a present. I'll see you tomorrow."

Abby smiled as she watched Jessie walk past the waiting boy from her window, their arguing voices fading in the distance as they walked away from view. Only then she looked into the object in her hand and smiled again. It was as an instant Polaroid snapshot, obviously taken from a hurried and close range. Jessie looking annoyed as she sat between a smiling John and an expressionless Blu.

Three in a photograph...

A sudden chill ran through the woman.

"Bloody idiot," she scolded herself with a nervous laugh, "You're definitely aging Abby old girl. Believing in such superstitious nonsense."

The window shutters rattled at the sudden gust of wind, and Abbey instinctively pulled on her sweater in a chill despite the warmth inside the house. Irregardless of superstition or not… she lived long enough to sense that something was brewing in the air. She could only hope that they would all be strong enough to survive through the coming storm.

* * *

Author's Squawk:

It's getting harder and harder to keep up and posting these updates… But here it is finally! The changes are somewhat major that its almost a new story from the original, isn't it? But I thought An-ya and Hadji are developing quite nicely. I'm actually glad for the chance to look at this series with more mature eyes. Anywayz… next act will come… eventually…

Ja!  
Ina-chan


	6. Act II Part II: Encounter

Disclaimer: JQ belongs to HB. Used w/o permission. Story idea and non JQ characters belong to Ina-chan. No money made

January 30, 3008  
**Into the Valley of Darkness  
**_Chapter 2 Act 2: Encounter_

The sun was shining warmly as if to comfort the cold wet earth. The fresh spring breeze gently caressed the faces of children running along the small bustling throng along the streets of New London. A pleasant weather was a blessing for people from nearby rural areas who travel to the city for trade and supplies, a blessing unnoticed by a single figure huddling his parka as he hopped out of a vehicle.

For Behkhadji Karnataka, the miserable cold weather was simply just another annoyance he had to bear with since the beginning of this trip. While he enjoyed more freedom than he normally had back at home, it didn't change the fact that he was really more like a dog being allowed to wander around while being held back with a long leash as opposed to being caged in a yard.

'Then again, there were worse ways to spend a school holiday,' Hadji thought to himself as he eyed his companion who was still inside their vehicle, looking at her reflection on the rear view mirror.

Anaya tucked the last stray strands of dark hair from her toque before taking a deep breath in pleasure as she stretched out the jeep, "Nothing like fresh air to energize you," She turned to her companion and gave him an impish grin, "eh, Raja?"

Hadji frowned and tightened his hold on his coat in silence.

Anaya's dark eyes twinkled mischievously as she peered at the young man from the top of her sun with a knowing look. "Need a little help getting warm?"

"Don't start," Hadji growled in annoyance, as he surveyed their surroundings. "I still think this is a bad idea."

The young woman scoffed in mock irritation as she started to walk away from their vehicle. "Keep it up Raja and pretty soon you're going to start sounding like Melana."

The frown on Hadji's forehead deepened at the suggestion as hurried after his companion. But he was starting to know better than to let himself get baited. "I'm just saying that it'll be much safer if we had more visible men with us."

"I don't need extra men when I have you as my personal bodyguard."

As much as he hated to admit it, Hadji knew that Anaya was more than capable of protecting herself… if he also ignored the fact that there were already plainclothes soldiers stationed throughout the city to ensure both of their safety. Even so, she was more skilled and probably better suited to protecting him than the other way around.

"I know, I know. But green zone or not, it isn't safe to---" Hadji's voice was abruptly cut off as Anaya suddenly threw her arms around his neck and clung to his body. It took everything he had to keep from stumbling on his own feet from her sudden weight.

"Look, we already went through this. You were the one who wanted to be incognito. So today, we are just two tourists looking at the sights in this wonderful city. You have to admit, that draws less attention than two dignitaries with their entourage. Besides…" Anaya crooned huskily as she breathed closer to his ear, "this is a lot more fun, don't you agree?"

Red-faced and feeling completely mortified, the young man pulled the girls arms off him and gave his companion a reprimanding glare. "Stop doing that!"

"Oh come on, Raja. Stop being so uptight," Anaya laughed merrily. "You know I'm just teasing you."

"I know," Hadji replied, almost solemnly, with an unreadable expression flashing across his features, before he averted his eyes.

A sudden air of uneasiness settled between the two that even Anaya found herself temporarily at a loss for words. She let out a sigh and forced a smile on her lips. "All right then. I just have a little errand to run. So why don't you go get us something hot to drink and I'll meet here in fifteen minutes."

Hadji raised an eyebrow at that. "What happened to me being your personal bodyguard."

"Well... you're more than welcome to come with me to the little girls room if you want…" Anaya replied coyly.

"Medium cup, Earl Grey, a touch of milk and two spoonfuls of honey?" Hadji sighed in annoyance.

"Now be good while big sister's away," Anaya said softly with a genuine affection. Before he could react, the young woman leaned over and pecked his cheek, just a hair away from the corner of his mouth.

She already walked halfway across the sidewalk and made her way through a nearby shop by the time Hadji's brain started to function again. He touched the spot where her lips burned his skin and felt the faint sticky residue of lip-gloss there.

'Lip-gloss? Since when did An-ya start wearing lip-gloss?'

The trivial question instantly popped in his head, along with a million other questions that would normally enter a hot-blooded teen-aged boy's mind in his situation as the faint smell of jasmine and strawberries and the warmth of a body pressed against his lingered in his senses. Hadji frowned and wiped his cheek as he turned towards the opposite direction to a nearby coffee house, all the way feeling thoroughly disgusted with himself.

It wasn't a secret that they both had formed a unique attachment since their first meeting when they were still children. Back then, a prominent scientist who was once known as Xin Wei Min rose to the ranks as an inspiration to a world that has fallen into chaos. Despite having neither coming from a ruling class bloodline nor even a country to rule, Xin Wei Min started an idea that was embraced by almost every nation plagued by poverty, and who suffered even more after the events in Geneva. And like a phoenix emerging out of the ashes of devastation, Xin Wei Min was reborn as Zin, and the world witnessed the emergence of country-less, yet powerful Empire. Hadji was just old enough to remember when Zin himself, made his first ambassadorial visit to India.

India was still grieving from his father's martyrdom. A snap election pushed his uncle to India's political spotlight as the new Prime Minister, struggling to keep their country from falling into complete anarchy. The night when his uncle was officially elected was the last night he saw his mother alive.

He vaguely remembered his mother waking him from sleep. How she calmly and firmly made him promise to be a good boy and follow everything his ayah and his uncle told him to do, and to grow up into a wise and strong man to make his father proud. Before giving him a final kiss and hug before putting him in his ayah's arms to flee from the coup d'etat riots caused by the supporters of those who opposed his uncle that was moving rapidly into the capital.

He didn't understand what was happening then. All he knew was that his mother decided to stay and promised to welcome him home with a big hug after the crisis was over. He didn't even know where he and Vikram were taken. Ayah would not answer his questions about his mother. He was not allowed to watch television, listen to the radio or go outside in the gardens to play. Despite his age, he was well aware of the tension behind the forced smiles of the adults around him. But he kept his promise and endured everything as how his mother expected him too without any complaints… even though Vikram seemed to make it his life's purpose to make Hadji's life as difficult as possible.

…even though his mother was not able to keep her promise to him.

The week they finally returned to the main house was that week when Zin first visited India. Back then, he was simply told to behave as a very important man was dining with them. And he was instructed to be nice and polite towards this man's two young daughters as Hadji's uncle offered the use of their home to ensure the girls' comfort, safety and privacy.

He was six years old, newly orphaned, unusually meek and very shy. Vikram's disdainful taunting didn't help his battered confidence. But the moment he met her eyes, even as young as he was back then, he felt an instant connection with her. And later on, when she suddenly and playfully stuck out her tongue and made a funny face to make him laugh when nobody was watching (in the middle of his uncle's long and very boring speech just prior to dinner), he knew that he was going to love her for the rest of his life.

But Hadji also knew that Anaya simply saw him as the little brother that she never had. No… more like a favourite toy or a pet that followed her willingly wherever she went. His uncle had always encouraged their friendship. Needless to say, their unique relationship had been instrumental for India to secure a significant political position within the Zin Empire, as well as the reason of much of Vikram's chagrin towards him.

Nonetheless, Hadji didn't care about the political games or the public stage he was being groomed to be a part of. His feelings and his adoration of Anaya were never a secret. They had nothing to do with propelling him to power or ensuring India's future. There were so many things about her that he wished he had himself. Her self-confidence, her leadership, her frustrating witty insolence, and that warmth that she rarely shows to anybody else…

He selfishly wanted all of that… all of her for himself.

He had always hated himself for his selfishness.

He hated himself for allowing himself to feel that way.

Before he was her Raja and she was his An-ya, he was Behkhadji Karnataka and she was Anaya Zin. They were both born and raised to become symbolic and literal figureheads and in essence, they belong to their public. Neither of them have the right to offer themselves to a life with another person. He already resigned to that existence from childhood. He also knew that it was a fate that his future children would inevitably inherit.

These lighthearted instances of "normality" he was enjoying with her now were nothing more but stolen moments of pure selfishness.

"**_Dammit!_** Why don't you creeps go and find some other people to bother?"

Hadji blinked as the female voice barking indignantly invaded his train of thought. The young man turned his attention towards the source of the sound and saw a pretty girl with bright red hair, possibly his age or younger, walking briskly across the square pretty much dragging the skinny blonde boy beside her.

"Aw c'mon luv! Dump your boyfriend here and come with us. We'll show you how to have a really good time."

Both were being followed and surrounded by trio of local boys whom he had witnessed, on a few separate occasions, liked to tease pretty young girls who passed them by the street. They were a nuisance, but mostly harmless. Based on the unconcerned reactions from the people passing by, he figured everyone else thought the same thing. Nonetheless, he had never seen them surround anyone like a pack of hungry hyenas. Despite the tough exterior the redhead was showing, Hadji knew that the experience had to be quite disconcerting.

"Are you deaf? I already said **NOT INTERESTED**! Now get out of our way before I get **REALLY** mad!"

"Ooooooh! I'm scared!"

"Careful, Rod. This one looks like she bites."

"Fine with me, I like mine live and feisty!"

Hadji raised an eyebrow as he continued to watch the events unfold before him. That red head definitely had spunk. He instantly liked her. She reminded him too much of a certain something he knew. Though he couldn't say very much about her companion. So far, the boy stood passively beside her, as if completely indifferent to the harassment his friend was going through. In fact, it even looked as if she was unconsciously pulling him behind her… as if to shield him. Hadji couldn't help laughing out loud. The scene was simply too familiar to ignore.

Unfortunately, his mirth didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey you! Binder!" One of the boys called out, tapping his forehead, as he turned to glare at Hadji. "You find something funny?"

It took a moment before Hadji realized that the comment was being directed to him. While he probably would have gone and intervened regardless, the look on the boy's face reminded him so much of Vikram's condescending leers, that all thoughts of ending the whole ordeal in a more peaceful manner immediately evaporated.

Hadji shrugged as he shoved his hands in his pockets as he returned the other boy's smirk. "If it takes three of you to stand up against one girl to make your manhood feel more… adequate… who am I to judge?"

"You're gonna pay for that, you fucking Paki!" One of the boys growled, pointing at the young man threateningly.

Hadji, in turn, still with that lofty smirk, spread out his arms and silently encouraged them to take their best shot. With that, all three boys rushed toward the young man with indignant cries. Hadji allowed himself to sigh with a touch of disappointment as he saw his opponents' fighting stances. He could hear Anaya's annoyed voice chiding him for even wasting a breath on these boys. Nonetheless, in less than ten seconds all three bullies found themselves flying in the air and sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain, before they even realized what hit them.

"So much for being incognito," Hadji mumbled under his breath as a few curious passer-bys immediately fell into a round of applause while a group of tourists wondering out loud if it was a movie being filmed or if there it was part of the town's attractions.

From the corner of his eye, he saw two of whom he immediately recognized as Anaya's plainclothes soldiers quickly filter through the crowd towards the fallen gang. A few more quickly acted to divert the crowd before they made their way towards him. One instantly appeared beside him.

Hadji let out another sigh. "I'm fine. Return to your post."

"I'm sorry sir, but my orders are to bring you to safety and keep your presence inconspicuous on instances like these." The soldier stated stoically.

"You're making me conspicuous right now," Hadji retorted under his breath as he eyed the red-head he rescued, who happened to be watching him and was making her way towards him with her companion in tow. "Return to your post. And tell your friend to do the same."

The soldier reluctantly followed his orders and motioned towards the other soldier, who was pretending to be a confused tourist reading a map a few moments before and was already halfway to intercepting the girl, to hold his ground. The other soldier stopped on his tracks and continued with his charade with his map. But not without making sure that he was still within a short distance away.

"Are you all right?" Hadji asked as soon as the girl was within hearing distance.

"I could have taken them," The girl replied arrogantly. "I was about to before you stepped in."

"Then please forgive me for my intrusion," Hadji replied apologetically, clasping his hands together as he bowed his head, trying to hide his amusement.

The girl studied his profile with a wry grin before speaking again. "Your first time?"

"Excuse me?" Hadji replied, puzzled.

"Are you a tourist? Is it your first time here in New London?" The girl clarified.

"I've already been here a few days, but yes. It's the first time I've walked around in the city." Hadji answered grinning back. "Is it that noticeable?"

The girl shrugged with an amused smile as she eyed his clothing. "Well… anyone packing the big guns in mild weather like this has got to be not from around here. Personally I was really impressed that you were able to move like you did despite looking like a giant marshmallow."

Hadji couldn't help but laugh at that as he held out a gloved hand, "Hadji."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jessie," The redhead grinned back as she shook his hand, before turning to her companion. "This is Blu."

Hadji raised an eyebrow at the unusual name, but said nothing. He held out his hand towards the blonde only to stop with a start as he saw the other boy's face clearly for the first time and met the other boy's gaze.

He had seen that same expression this boy had before… that first time his Uncle brought him along to a goodwill trip to Geneva in honor of the memory of his father. The trip included a publicity trip of a group of delegates visiting a local orphanage where survivors of Geneva's aftermath were still seeking treatment. He saw a little girl there. She looked nothing like this boy, but they had that same eerie blank expression… He later learned that she was one of the Geneva Savant children. Those strange children with serene angelic faces and lifeless doll-like eyes, who never laughed, never smiled, and never cried.

Those surviving now were mostly children of Geneva Massacre survivors born with autistic-like characteristics. It was a fascinating phenomenon approximately that affected one out of fifty children born from survivors since the tragedy. Many of them suffered such severe mental retardation that teaching them means to communicate was a virtual impossibility. At the same time, a handful of those children with higher functioning demonstrated amazing intellectual gifts and abilities… if one succeeded with finding a way to teach them to communicate.

Many scientists theorized that the anomaly could have been the result of an unknown gaseous by-product released by the bombs that the terrorists used that fateful day. Though the probability was high, the fact that not all children and children whose parents were exposed to the gas were affected made the real answer uncertain. There was also the fact that most of these children don't live past their seventh birthday.

The boy in front of him obviously looked much older than seven. But still, the boy gave that same aura that made hairs on the back of his prickle. For a moment, he almost gave in to the temptation to pull back his arm and turn his gaze away from those unnerving eyes.

But before he could move the other boy cocked his head, almost childlike, and spoke in an emotionless but strangely clear voice. "You're good."

Jessie looked at her companion in bewilderment for a moment before breaking into a genuine smile. "Well, it seems that you have Blu's seal of approval. That's good enough for me."

"Seal of approval?" Hadji asked automatically.

"Blu rarely talks when strangers are around, more talk to one! He must really like you," Jessie explained before making a face. "Up to now, he is yet to say a word around John."

"He won't approve." Blu quipped in that strange monotone of his.

The girl turned to her friend in puzzlement. "Who won't."

"John."

The girl's face crumpled at the comment so fast that Hadji's curiosity got the better of him. "Your father sounds very overprotective."

An unreadable expression crossed Jessie's features as she turned to face him again, as if she was caught between feeling surprise and wanting to burst out laughing. In the end, she gave him another bright smile. "Now I know for sure that I like you."

Hadji had no clue what that was about, but if it caused him to make a pretty girl who treated him just like any regular person to give him an equally beautiful smile, he didn't want to argue with that. For the first time, since the beginning of the trip, he actually genuinely started to not regret being forced to come.

"Well, our ride's picking us up in an two hours and we still have a lot of errands to run. Thanks for your help again… and hope you enjoy your visit." The girl said cheerfully as she grabbed her companion's arm and led him away.

"See you," Hadji replied as he watched them mingle with the crowd.

As he watched them leave, he was suddenly left with a strange pang of emptiness. For a brief moment, he even felt the inexplicable compulsion to follow them. There was something about them… and that girl that he felt some kind of connection with. It wasn't the same as that time he met Anaya for the first time. While it was true that he found Jessie attractive. She had that same fire that Anaya has. But there was something else about her that he couldn't explain. It almost felt like of those moments that his Ayah described in her stories when people who were destined by the stars to meet… finally meet.

He personally didn't believe in that nonsense, but…

His mobile phone rang and vibrated insistently in his parka pocket. With unpracticed awkwardness, he somehow managed to answer it with thick gloves.

"Where's my Earl Grey?" Anaya's voice demanded in his ear.

"An-ya! Uhm… er… that is… I…" Hadji sputtered, almost guiltily, his eyes widened in surprise as he scanned his surroundings for the nearest cafe.

Anaya's infectious laughter rang in the air, aside from his telephone. He followed the sound and saw her standing a few meters away, waving and watching him in complete amusement. Hadji frowned as he turned off his phone and put it in his pocket.

"That wasn't funny," Hadji stated haughtily as soon as he was within hearing distance.

"I can't help it if you look so adorable when you're flustered," Anaya retorted as she reached out as if to attempt to pull at his neatly bound turban that he insisted on wearing since the beginning of the trip. It was partly out of habit but in this case, it was mainly out of practicality and because he was getting tired of Anaya taking every chance to tease him about the length of his hair.

"Will you please stop doing that?" Hadji snapped back in mock annoyance as he expertly swatted away her hands with one hand, while protecting his headgear with the other. "What's the matter with you? You're acting more childish than usual."

"What are you talking about, I'm not acting any different," Anaya replied innocently as she studied his face closely. "What's wrong with **YOU**? You're you acting like you got caught with your hand in a cookie jar."

Hadji snorted as he shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking towards a random direction. "I thought you wanted something hot to drink. I think there's a café in that direction."

Anaya gasped in mock surprise as she matched his pace. "Avoidance! Something happened while I was away, didn't it. There's no use hiding it now. I'll find out about it later."

"Nothing happened," Hadji replied lamely as he continued walking, once in a while glancing at his companion from the corner of his eye while Anaya continued to match his pace and stared at him intently… another one of her tactics that unnerved him. "Will you stop doing that?"

"I see…" Anaya mumbled with a knowing look as she looked ahead. She shoved her hands into her own jacket pockets, mimicking Hadji's mannerisms as he walked in an exaggerated fashion before continuing without missing a beat. "So is she pretty?"

"What?" Hadji stopped on his tracks as he stared at her incredulously.

Anaya swiveled on her heels to completely face him, an impish smirk lighting her features. "For little Raja acting all guilty like this… it has to be a girl. You do realize that she has to pass big sister's standards, right?"

"Since when and who decided that?" Hadji couldn't help but laugh.

The young woman's eyes widened innocently and feigned hurt feelings. "Why Behkhadji! How could you doubt your big sister? I care very much about your well being so I have to make sure that your future bride will at least measure up to me. How else can I ensure that you will not stray from the straight and narrow pa---"

"No." Hadji interrupted firmly in a voice full of conviction that Anaya instantly stopped in her tracks and looked up at him in genuine surprise. "No one is going to decide a bride for me. Not you. Not my uncle. No one."

The expression on his face matched the passion on his voice, that for the second time in the day, Anaya was at a complete loss of words. For a moment, he thought that he might have gone too far as she could only stare at him dumbly as he took another step towards her. They were so close that he could see his reflection in her clear dark eyes. He didn't see any trace of fear in those eyes either. Only an astounded expression that might have even passed for something that could have been awe… that only spurred Hadji to continue despite what his judgment knew otherwise.

"And why should I settle for a mere imitation when what my heart desires is just within my reach?"

The young woman stared at him with an unreadable expression for what seemed like an eternity. After those words were finally spoken, neither of them dared to move… or even breathe.

Then without warning, Anaya turned around and pulled at her toque to completely cover her eyes. Blinded, she then started walking forward briskly, arms flailing and stretched out as if to avoid bumping into anything in path. "I'm so thirsty! I want my tea now!"

"Stupid!" Hadji called out after her and grabbed her arm as soon as she was within reach. He glared at the young woman and tried to pull the knitted hat off her head. "What's wrong with you? Take that thing off your eyes before get hurt!"

"**NO! DON'T TOUCH!"** Anaya cried out as both hands flew protectively over head.

It was only then that Hadji noticed the moisture seeping through the fabric covering her friend's eyes. The boy instantly pulled his hands back to his sides, as if scalded. He stared self-consciously at his boots, which still bore the luster from his meticulous polishing, untouched, despite the scuffle he was involved just a few minutes earlier. Once again, Hadji was at loss with what to do. He wasn't used to seeing Anaya like this. He wasn't even sure what to make of it. But knowing her, he knew that she was probably equally embarrassed as he was. As much as he hated being teased, he knew she hated showing people her vulnerabilities...even if it was just in front of him. Or was it most especially because it is in front of him?

"Throat hurts." Anaya's cracked suddenly voice announced hoarsely in a childish tone. With hand still protectively holding on to her toque, she held out her other hand in front of her blindly. "Tea. Now."

"Okay," Hadji whispered with a small smile.

Without another word, Hadji he took her hand in his and guided her down the street in silence.

(To Be Continued)

* * *

Author's Squawk:

It's clear to me now… that even though I will be following the general essence of each original chapter… this story taking shape is going generally follow a different path. In the original, I realized that I've taken Jessie's anger issues to an extreme! I'd like to think that being some kind of self-proclaimed "substitute mother" for Blu, as well as Abby's influence all this time would have softened her a bit. She'll never admit it, she's starting to warm up with John too (if you count the decrease in her hostility, that is... .) There's also the significant decrease of her use bad language since she started hanging out with Blu. Motherhood is such a strange influence, isn't it?

Act II contains the first major turning points in this story and Hadji and Jessie's first meeting is definitely one of those significant moments. In the original, I thought Jessie was way too hostile towards Hadji… and I don't think that would leave enough of an impression to encourage what will happen later.

That aside… even though I wasn't entirely convinced or supportive of a romantic relationship happening between Jessie and the boys… but if that happened, I'd think Jessie would most likely fall for Hadji. Who wouldn't? . Out of principle, I don't mind playing with it in the real storyline, but I'll never pursue it. Ina-chan votes for sibling-ship! But this is an alternate universe where the Zin Twins are actually human (well, at least Anaya is! .) so maybe adding a bit of Hadji/Jessie to the already complicated Hadji/Anaya and Jessie/John relationship would be an interesting spice.

I wonder what Blu thinks about this whole thing?

If you haven't figured it out yet, an "ayah" is literally a maidservant. In Hadji's case, an ayah is a "nanny". Though I'm not 100 sure, but I think the Filipino term "yaya" (which means the same thing. I had one until I was 5.) is a derivative of this Indian word.

The racist remarks from the bullies… well, considering the turning point in this alternate universe' history was the Geneva Massacre event, this Britain shared the same past as the regular Britain… colonization of India and all the racism that came with it and all. Hadji, being who he was, was never exposed to racism. He probably didn't even completely understand that them remarks toward him were racist in nature in the first place.

As for Zin's real name… completely made up! (Obviously) It's obviously Chinese. Makes you wonder if Melana and Anaya's names (which sound more Japanese influenced than ever) are real too, eh? Nonetheless, I'm not tying a specific character to Zin's name. But loosely, the Chinese character(s) pronounced as Xin can have the following possible English meanings. [1 heart [2 mind [3 conscience; moral nature [4 intention; idea; ambition; design [5 core; middle; center; inside. Wei Min is loosely translated as "bring greatness to the people".

Ja!

Ina-chan


	7. Act II Part III: Collusion

May 12, 2008

Disclaimer: JQ not mine. Non-JQ characters and storyline mine. No money made. All for fun...

_Into the Valley of Darkness  
Chapter 2 Act 3: Collusion  
by Ina-chan_

Music blared from the car's speakers as it cruised along the isolated county side roads. It was a scene nothing out of the ordinary, if one was to assume that it was some teen-aged kid driving the family pick-up truck home after a day of shopping for supplies and groceries with a favourite rock band blaring from the radio in full blast. Only it wasn't a family pick-up truck. The driver wasn't a teenager. And the music in full blast was the New London Philharmonic's rendition of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony.

"You know, Dr. Ross…" Jessie yelled unnecessarily from the top of her lungs as she made a show as if she was in a great amount of pain while holding her hands to her ears to prove her point, "from where I came from, this is what we call noise pollution."

"I don't particularly care how you listen to music from where you came from, Missy," Dr. Nathan Ross replied, mimicking her tone, "but this is how you're supposed to listen to Old Ludwig's number 5."

_/Ahhh… there they go again… don't you ever get tired of this?/_ The voice in the back of his mind hissed in annoyance. _/It's bad enough with that infernal racket. Why do they have to argue like an old man and a rude teenager?/_

"You kids just don't know how to appreciate culture."

"You old timers just don't want to admit you're going deaf."

Blu didn't particularly mind the so-called 'infernal racket'. Ever since the redhead became a constant fixture within his routine, such noises and arguments became a staple white noise. The voice from the back of his mind didn't like it very much. But then again, it didn't like a lot of things. It sounded particularly weary of his new friends, especially when the other one with an equally loud voice joined the picture.

Normally he didn't bother with other people or their emotions or how they thought. The only people he allowed to have a glimpse past the invisible cocoon around him was Abby and Nathan Ross. But for the oddest reason… and he suspected to the voice's dismay… he felt an emotion closely resembling something that of intrigue when it came to his fire-haired friend.

_/Well, she definitely seems to attract a lot of interesting characters./ _The voice commented idly.

Blu's mind wandered idly back to that incident earlier in their shopping trip. He'd never been involved in a fight before. People had the tendency to avoid him or leave him alone. He knew all too well that those boys only came after them because of his companion. But there was a strange sensation within him as those boys closed around him that he didn't remember feeling before. And watching that foreign boy take that gang effortlessly… He'd never felt anything like it. Since then, a strange sense of restlessness seemed to have taken over his entire body.

_/And don't you dare start craving for trouble!/_The voice hissed in alarm. _/You have to keep yourself from standing out. Remember the last time? Do you want that to happen again?/_

Blu sank further in his seat as he watched the scenery by the pick-up's window across Jessie's seat from the corner of his eye.

_/You have to keep that promise no matter what./_ The voice stated insistently. _/There's not much time./ _

"Hey kiddo, you okay?" The older man asked, as if sensing the shift in the boy's demeanor.

The boy didn't reply. Instead closed his eyes and instinctively burrowed closer to the girl beside him, to the utter horror of the voice from the back of his mind. He let his consciousness quickly drift with practiced precision before the voice could sputter another word of protest.

Nathan Ross raised a surprised eyebrow while Jessie flushed, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious at the older man's reaction to her friend's uncharacteristic behaviour.

"He's probably just tired," Jessie stated with a nervous laugh, regardless, shifting in her seat so she could cradle the younger boy under one arm comfortably. "We had an exciting day today."

"So I heard," Dr. Ross smirked as he turned his attention to the road.

"Heard what exactly?" Jessie frowned as she looked at the older man suspiciously.

"Nothing bad," Dr. Ross teased with a bigger grin. "Just some story about a certain damsel in distress being rescues by a handsome stranger."

"Dam--?! Wha--!?" Jessie sputtered in shock, turning into a deeper shade, almost matching the color of her bright hair. "Where the hell did you hear that?"

"New London may be a relatively big town, but its so quiet and boring that when stuff like that happens, word does get around fast," Dr. Ross stated nonchalantly, before looking at his two charges with a significant look. "Though your handsome hero would be the least of your worries if you continue to publicly treat Blu like that. Your boyfriend gets jealous enough as it is."

"B-buh- BOYFRIEND!?" Jessie glared at the older man in outrage. "Who told you that? Has John been snooping around in your clinic as well? That-that-that… IDIOT! I'm going to kill him!"

Dr. Ross let out a hearty laugh, before turning his attention back to the boy, now soundly sleeping against Jessie's shoulder. "Though, that's unnerving to see him switch himself on and off, just like that. Not that he's acted like this in front of other people… even Abby. He must feel very safe with you."

Jessie's eyes widened as she stared at the older man in surprise. "Is that so?"

"I've known Abby for a long time. She and my little sister were best friends growing up, so in a way, we were childhood chums by association. Though we've lost touch, especially after Edward Lynd died. I didn't hear from her until a few years ago, when she came back to recover from her accident. And she came with Jason here in tow…" Dr. Ross paused as if he was searching for something in his memory. "This little one was definitely a strange one."

"Really?" Jessie looked at him curiously.

"He normally doesn't talk to people other than Abby. He didn't speak a word to me until almost two years after," Dr. Ross recalled. "And you got him speaking full sentences almost instantly."

"That's strange," Jessie commented idly. "He spoke to Hadji perfectly fine earlier."

Dr. Ross raised an eyebrow at that. "You don't say!"

The girl gave the older man an uncertain look, as if debating her next question before speaking. "Dr. Ross… has Blu always been like this? Did something happen to him? Abby wouldn't say anything more, but she did imply once that Blu's parents died in Geneva."

The doctor simply looked back at the road with a small shrug. "Who knows? Abby has always been a private person. But knowing Abby's former life, I wouldn't be surprised."

"So you never met her husband's family?" Jessie asked curiously.

"Even before Geneva, the Lynd Family already kept to themselves. That's the nature of the Lynd business empire, I suppose. Though Edward was different. Very laid back and not so bright when it came to keeping money in his pockets. Before everything went to heck, it wasn't a secret that the Lynd Family was strongly disappointed that their sole heir to their empire was not to be desired," Dr. Ross murmured. "Of none of that matters anymore."

"Sole heir?" Jessie's eyebrows furrowed. "But I thought Abby's husband had a brother or sister…"

Dr. Ross looked at her from the corner of his eye in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

"Abby mentioned once that Blu was her husband's nephew," Jessie stated as he studied the older man's face.

"Is that so?" Dr. Ross replied non-committedly with a bland expression as he turned his attention back in front of him.

"Dr. Ross?" Jessie called out inquiringly at the man's sudden change in demeanor.

"Better jostle sleeping beauty awake. Abigail is not a very patient lady. We're a tad late as it is, and she'll be more pissed than a hornet's nest the moment we sit foot at the door," Dr. Ross replied in a more cheerful tone as he coasted the pick-up truck through the short uneven path that led to the Lynd bungalow.

"She'll be really pissed, won't she?" Jessie agreed as he gently nudged the sleeping boy beside her.

"She'll open the door the minute I park. And if a single hair is out of place from the two of you, she'll have my head," Dr. Ross in mock horror.

Jessie laughed as the pick-up cruised to a stop.

"Come on, you guys get the groceries while I..." Dr. Ross said as he got out the vehicle

"Blu?" Jessie called out in concern when the boy continued to sit motionlessly on his seat and stare at something outside

"She's not pissed," Blu simply replied

Jessie followed his field of vision and felt an overwhelming sense of dread at the sight of the closed door.

* * *

Her room was dark except for the light from the computer screen in front of her, strangely illuminating Melana Zin's normally striking features into with a sinister air. Her lips were a thin line as she stared at the computer screen in front of her emotionlessly.

"Everything is on schedule," Melana's quiet voice resonated blandly in the darkened room, "Has the specimen met expectations?"

"The specimen has arrived," the transmission's security features digitally obscuring her conversation's partner into an almost unintelligible warble. "Whether it meets expectations is still to be seen."

"Earlier tests were inconclusive. The results, however, were sufficient enough to assume that the specimen has potential. I will personally supervise the project upon my return."

"And the other matters?"

"It is now under control. Anaya has personally supervised it."

"There was news of complications."

"Anaya has personally supervised it."

"I certainly hope this is not a repetition of past mistakes."

"… … …"

"Do not forget that the objective of this mission is to erase probable ammunition against us. Mistakes due to matters of personal natures are unacceptable."

The silence in the room hung heavily in the air for a moment before the voice spoke again.

"And tell your sister that her tardiness is not appreciated," the voice said simply before the connection was cut abruptly.

"Yes," The thin line of Melana's lips mouthed a reply almost soundlessly, the voice answering was almost an inaudible soft whisper as she continued to stare at her computer monitor. The screen's bright light eerily reflected and illuminating her eyes in the darkness.

(End of Act 2 Chapter 3)  
(To be Continued)

* * *

Author's squawk:

Again, thank you so much for bearing with me… and for continuing to read this…

Yet another long break and more changes. Though of all the chapters rewritten so far, this one seems to be the most intact from the original. Sorry for the slow update. Life has been crazy! With the two productions I volunteered with just finished over the weekend, still recovering from the high of watching my first voice-over animated short film role being screened in a real movie theatre (yeah, yeah it was a student film festival… but it was a REAL MOVIE THEATE…. Ooooh! . ), the stress induced by Anime North two weeks away, my "Sweeney Todd" auditions (for roles that I will most likely never get) in three weeks, plus the Toronto Fringe Festival rehearsals (yaaay! My first Fringe acting gig!) in a month or so… GAH!! My real life hobbies are slowly morphing to become a… gasp JOB!! Now if only I get paid to do all these things…

On a side note… Quinton Flynn is coming back to Anime North along with Jeff Nimoy, citing Toronto as their next destination for their Anime Convention documentary that they're making. If you guys happen to be doin' nuthin and have a penchant to visit Canada for the Memorial Day long weekend, here's a cool chance to see Canada and Jonny Quest at the same time! Details

Anywayz… on a very off off off off tangential note… I have started a love affair with Robert Kirkman (thanks to a friend's recommendation… because if he didn't recommend it, I would have never picked it up due to time constraints that would not allow me to discover new things on my own… I feel so deprived…).

I LOVE "Invincible"! I love the storytelling style! I love Cory Walker's art! I love the dialogue! I love seeing characters remaining optimistic and fun (and acting like real people) despite all the deep, dark, depressing situations they are subjected to.

Wow… that was totally random!

Well, now that the rambling babble is over, you know what to do next…

Ja!  
Ina-chan


	8. Act II Part IV: Loss

Disclaimer: JQ belongs to HB. Used w/o permission. Story idea and non JQ characters belong to Ina-chan. No money made.

May 19, 2008

_**Into the Valley of Darkness  
Chapter 2 Act 4: Loss  
**by Ina-chan_

Her silver knife barely made a sound as it cut through the tender piece of beef and hit the delicate china that housed it. It was a great contrast to the unhappy clinking of cutlery from her companion across the table. Melana eyed her sister's behaviour disapprovingly, "While I know that we have no guests tonight, it doesn't mean that we have to forget basic etiquette while on the dinner table."

"My meat is raw," Anaya drawled curtly as she let the silverware in her hands clatter noisily on the table.

A servant automatically appeared by Anaya's side to retrieve the entrée but froze as he caught the other Zin sister glaring at him, forcing him to back away, as if scalded.

"It will not bode well if word goes out in public that you are wasting food," Melana replied meaningfully. "Besides, Chateaubriand is supposed to be served rare."

"Rare does not equate to freshly butchered bloody," Anaya retorted irritably, before giving her sister a sarcastic grin. "Then again, you do enjoy eating a poor animal before its heart even stopped beating."

Melana simply looked at her blandly as she delicately nibbled on the small piece of meat on her fork. Anaya, in turn, childishly glared at her sourly as she retrieved her cutlery and attacked her meal with over-enthusiastic vigor, forcing another disapproving frown to line her sister's forehead..

"Eeef yo're forshing me to eeet thish," Anaya declared between mouthfuls before her twin could make a comment, "I eet how I wansh."

"You are so childish," Melana stated with great disgust.

"I'm not the one who would do anything to get her own way," Anaya countered as she cut her food with equal vehemence.

"If you are throwing a tantrum because your pet refused to join us for dinner, you know very well that decision is his and his alone," Melana replied huffily.

"And you know very well," Anaya stated coldly pointing her knife at her sister accusingly, "that this is a completely different matter."

Melana raised her chin and gave her sister a steely glare, an obvious touch of anger uncharacteristically marring her normally serene face. She gave the boy standing behind her sister a look and the servant instantly bowed and retreated out of the room, leaving the two young women to face each from opposite sides of the long formal table in private.

Anaya rested her elbows on top of the table and folded her hands before her. She gave her sister a wry grin as she rested her chin on her knuckles. She was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. "Why?"

Her sister didn't reply as she continued eating her meal.

Anaya's eyes flashed at her sister's dismissive reaction. "I was handling it."

"Yet you hesitated," Melana stated a matter-of-factly.

"You were too impatient," Anaya shot back.

"You hesitated," Melana intoned firmly. Emphasizing each word with the movement of her knife, "you wavered, you faltered, you hesitated."

Anaya unclasped her hands, her fingers forming into indignant fists.

"If you are going to make a fist at me, make sure you are ready to use them," Melana stated blandly before giving her sister a consequential stare, "lest you be prepared to have your hands chopped off."

Anaya quickly rose from her seat with such vehemence that the heavy antique mahogany toppled over as if it were made out of sticks with a loud bang.

"You should really be more careful, sister. I am sure that chair is a priceless heirloom," Melana declared, without missing a beat.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You needed to be reminded of your duties before you are further distracted,"

"Distracted?"

"Father is getting impatient."

Anaya stared in her sister in complete bewilderment upon hearing the other woman's words. Her anger slowly melted away from her delicate features and was replaced by an unreadable expression. She bowed her head down as if to prevent her sister from seeing her face. Without another word, she pulled out an electronic device from her pocket and pushed it forcefully towards her sister.

The compact-sized communicator slid across the table, knocking the crystal wine goblet before bouncing unceremoniously on the other Zin sister's plate. The spilled red wine quickly made its way towards the table's edge and stained Melana's pristine uniform. The young woman stared at blandly without stating a single word or even moving a single muscle, her knife and fork primly poised in midair. Yet, she didn't bother to hide her displeasure either, as evidenced by the thin line of her lips.

Anaya still hid her face though raised her chin high enough to show her sister a satisfied smile from her handiwork, before stating in a low and dangerous voice. "You are the one who's impatient."

With that, Anaya spun on her heels and made her way out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind her. The sound of her footsteps slowly faded away to silence as she moved further and further down the hallways.

The servant waiting outside the dining room automatically made his way to the remaining sister, motioning to clean up the mess the other Zin daughter left behind. The boy reached out to take Melana's ruined plate, only to pull back with a pained yelp as Melana stabbed his hand with her fork to prevent him from taking the plate away. As the boy fell on his knees and nursed his injured hand, it was only then that he noticed the digital still photographs of what looked like a blonde boy and blue eyes, who was obviously a student from an international private school, flashing in a perpetual loop. A sound coming from his mistress chilled his very soul, forcing him to look up in fear.

"I finally found you…"

His eyes widened both in horror and astonishment.

Melana giggled, her lips slowly curving into a triumphant smile, though her glee didn't match the fiery hatred that was reflected in her eyes.

"Benton Quest."

* * *

"The sun is setting late today," Jessie mumbled idly to herself as stared at the orange light streaming through the kitchen window. She forced herself to concentrate at the task at hand as she stirred the modest stew in the pot before her. As the soup bubbled, the girl frowned at the pathetic meal. Not that she expected any of her companions to eat anything. Eating now was probably the last of what's in everyone's minds. Though, they had to eat something sometime.

And this was all she could think of preparing at the last minute. There was so much to do and Dr. Ross was barking at her, short of outwardly yelling that she was just being in the way. Then again, that's how she really was, wasn't she?

"That's why you sent me here in the first place, isn't it, Dad?" Jessie murmured again to no one in particular as she continued to stir the contents of the pot in slow, circular, zombie-like motions. Her other hand instinctively dug deep into her pocket and held on tightly to her harmonica, as if holding it would summon her father's comforting presence.

_/It's a heavy burden, willingly taking the responsibility to become another's person strength... but__ I know you can do it. You're my daughter after, all./_

"That sounds all good and well in theory," Jessie sighed sorrowfully as she eyed the stubborn stains on the sleeve of her now ruined favourite blouse that she knew would never wash off. "But in reality, making the soup is the only thing I can do, after all."

"And very much appreciated," Dr. Ross called out tiredly from behind her.

Jessie spun around, red-faced, gaping at the older man in surprise. "H-how long have you been--?"

"Saying your thoughts aloud is very therapeutic," Dr. Ross replied wearily as he turned on the sink and washed his hands. "most especially on times like these."

The girl frowned as she watched the water tainted faint crimson by the doctor's hands whirl into the drain.

"She won't survive the trip to the nearest hospital," Dr. Ross stated, answering her silent question, "and every person has the right to chose to die in their own home."

Jessie looked away and continued stirring the pot.

"Whoever did this won't return," Dr. Ross continued, as he turned off the faucet. "Probably."

"What's going to happen now?" Jessie finally spoke.

"I'll take care of the paperwork and notifying who needs to be notified after its over," Dr. Ross answered a-matter-of-factly.

"That's not what I meant," Jessie replied flatly.

The older man sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "I don't know what will happen to Jason."

"But what about his relatives?"

"He doesn't have anyone. The last of the Lynds died off or disappeared after the family lost its fortune. Abby's family won't have anything to do with anything connected to her husband."

"I see… but what will happen to him?"

Dr. Ross scratched the nape of his neck uncomfortably as he walked towards the cupboard and rummaged aimlessly through its contents. "He'll most likely stay until the end of the school year. But being the way he is, most likely the State will transfer him to a more appropriate facility."

Jessie's eyes widened as she spun around to stare at the man in horror. "Appropriate facility?"

"Jason was admitted in your school for a reason. The school will fight to keep him as much as they could. But with no legal guardian…"

"Dr. Ross!"

The man simply gave her a leveled look. "What do you think will happen to you here if your true identity is leaked to the public access?"

Jessie took a sharp intake of breath.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped…" Dr. Ross sighed apologetically as walked toward her and took the ladle from her hand.

Jessie moved out of his way to make room, but at the same time, was unwilling to let the conversation slide away. "Can't you be his legal guardian?"

"I could." Dr Ross replied as he scooped the stew in the bowl. "But I'm not a blood relative so it could take months… even years. By then…"

The girl bowed her head in despair. "That's too late."

Without another word, the doctor presented the tray with the steaming bowls of soup he hastily assembled. "She probably won't have the strength to eat. But please make sure that you and Jason will at least have something hot in your stomachs."

Jessie bit her lip as she took the tray from the older man's hands and made her way out of the kitchen. The room she was heading towards was a few mere steps away… but the somber mood made it feel like it was a long an arduous journey.

**"****Lux aeterna luceat eis Domine****" **

Jessie stopped on her tracks as she heard the soft high pitched voice sweetly filter through the crack of Abby's bedroom door. She self-consciously peered through the slit, her curiosity getting the better of her, yet at the same time, not really wanting to intrude.

**"****Cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es****"**

She found the usually silent boy sitting beside his bedridden guardian, singing a mournful sounding song that probably sounded better with a choir. In another lifetime, with proper training, she figured he probably would have sounded as good as one of those cherubic young boy sopranos that you see in those old Christmas choir specials they still broadcasted in television once in a while. Yet at the same time, the boy's unrefined voice showed a raw emotion from him that she would have otherwise never have imagined on any other given situation.

**"****Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine****"**

She never claimed to be a religious person. She didn't even understand his words he was singing. But the image before her seemed fitting. As the red-orange light of the late setting sun filtered through the window, it enhanced the boy's vacant expressionless serene face with an ethereal glow. Like one of those Renaissance paintings of angels accompanying souls to the next life.

**"et lux perpetua luceat eis…"**

Jessie pulled herself away from the crack in the door and braced herself against the wall, noticing for the first time as the soup periodically lapped the lip of the bowls that her body was trembling. Of course, that was to be expected. For all the tough exterior she painted around herself, and all the losses she's had… she had never witnessed anybody die. Let alone someone she had become close to.

They had a memorial for her mother. After the many fruitless years of searching her father did when the country her mother was at the time fell into bloody and civil unrest. But then again, until now, Jessie didn't believe that her mother was already dead. And despite what he says about moving on and concentrating at the task at hand, she knew her father felt the same way. Otherwise, her father really thought her mother was already dead, he wouldn't have sent her away for her safety.

At least that's what she told herself.

"What are you doing?"

Jessie looked up in surprise at the sound of the familiar monotonous voice and found herself staring at her reflection in his blank orbs as he stood across her.

"I'm just resting a little bit. Cleaning up all that blood then cooking dinner afterwards is hard work, you know," Jessie forced an annoyed smirk on her face, despite the cracking in her voice.

Without another word, Blu reached out and touched the side of her cheek with a featherlike caress of his forefinger. When he brought his hand between, it was the first time that Jessie noticed her tears.

She automatically wiped her eyes with her sleeve, almost childishly. "I must have gotten some dust in my eye when I was cleaning. You're cleaning skills are sub par you know. I can't believe how Abby put up with you."

Blu simply took the tray from her hands, and beckoned to follow him in the room before disappearing through the door way. Jessie took a deep breath and forced herself to follow her friend into the room.

She stood on the opposite side to where Blu was sitting earlier. As if sensing her presence, the older woman opened her eyes and smiled at her weakly as soon as she recognized her. All at once, Jessie was struck by the older woman's strength. There was a calm resolve in her expression. If it weren't for the grisly scene that met them earlier and the telltale bandages peeking out from the edges of her clothes, Jessie wouldn't have guessed that the injuries hidden beneath her bindings were fatal.

"I'm sorry," Abby stated hoarsely.

Jessie simply shook her head, not trusting her voice to speak.

"Aside from getting you involved with this, I did something unspeakable to you."

"Abby, whatever it was, I'm sure we can talk about it when you get better," Jessie finally replied.

Abby shook her head and pointed to a tin can on her dresser table. "That box. Take it."

Jessie obediently reached for the item. It was an old cookie tin can that looked as if it was hidden underneath someplace dusty for the longest time.

"Open it."

Jessie opened the box and found documents, sealed and protected from the elements. As well as wads of what looked like a substantial amount of money. She looked at the older woman and stared at her in bewilderment. "What?"

"I'm sorry," The older woman said again as she reached for Jessie's hand. "I'm asking for the impossible… but this child. His fate is in your hands now. Take him with you…"

"Abby, I don't understand…" Jessie shook her head as she eyed the boy opposite him, who seemed more interested with arranging the contents of the tray to perfect alignment as he transferred it to the night table beside him.

"Race… Bannon."

Jessie's heart skipped a beat as she turned back to the older woman, as if to make sure that she heard her right. "What did you just say?"

"…burning Madonna and child… Geneva," Abby continued on, more urgently. "Bannon… will understand…"

"What…?" Jessie asked again in confusion, this time not bothering to stop her tears from falling.

"My boy," Abby whispered desperately as she reached out for Blu, mostly to ensure that she had his complete attention. "I'm sorry… my selfish… ness… made you… unhappy… you're free now… find... sure… your… fathe…"

Jessie couldn't bear the scene anymore. She couldn't bear hearing her last words anymore. She didn't want to hear anymore. Everything she's heard… she's learned… it was causing turmoil of emotions within her that she couldn't think straight at all. She rushed out of the room, ignoring Dr. Ross' surprised yell, dashed out of the house and ran until her legs collapsed from underneath her. She curled up underneath a tree as she quickly dug into her pockets to pull out her father's battered harmonica. She clasped it tightly between her hands like a holy relic.

"Dad…Dad… Dad…" She sobbed over and over, almost like a prayer. "What do I do? Tell me what to do, Daddy… I don't know what to do."

She didn't know how long she sat like that. She didn't even notice the sky darken, or feel the air turn colder, or hear Blu approaching until she felt the warmth radiating from his body as he sat beside her in silence. By then, her eyes were sore, and her throat was dry and just as painful.

"The lake is useless now. The worst you'll get is a cold," Blu stated blandly, breaking the silence between them.

"STOP! STOP THAT!" Jessie glared at him. "How can you be so calm about this? The woman who raised you is… You're all alone in the world now. Your fate is in the mercy of strangers. You don't even know where you'll end up a next month, a week from now, tomorrow! Don't you feel anything?"

The boy's stoic expression didn't change as he looked at her straight in the eye as he gave his answer. "No."

To her surprise, the boy turned away from her gaze as he stared serenely at the lake. "I don't remember anymore."

Tears sprang generously from the girl's eyes again as she reached out and held the boy protectively in her arms and sobbed, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… It's okay… there's… I have… enough tears… for both… of us."

(End of Chapter 2)

(To be continued)

* * *

AUTHOR'S SQUAWK

The words are an excerpt form "Lux Aeterna" from John Rutter's "Requiem", a beautiful choral piece that my choir had the privilege of performing in last year. If you're curious about what the words mean, it's these:

Let eternal light shine upon them, O Lord:

with Thy saints for ever, for art merciful.

Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,

and may light perpetual shine on them

But it's quite spectacular to hear a choir singing it even more. If you happen to find a CD in a store or the library or find clips online, I encourage you to listen to the whole piece. It's creepy and otherworldly… but then again, it's a Requiem. .

Anywayz, as promised… here is the last act of Chapter 2 before the craziness of Anime North '08 started. I promise to start working on the next chapter after the convention. It's much longer than I originally wrote it… and definitely changed the tone from the original version. I'm happier with this one, because I didn't realize how much having a greater range of life's experiences makes it much easier to express what you really wanted to word paint more effectively. I just hope it isn't too theatrical… Sometimes I think my screen and play writing chops is influencing my general writing way too much now. But I'm afraid it's needed…

Comments and criticisms welcomed!

Ina-chan


	9. Act III Part I:Resurgence

Disclaimer: JQ not mine. Non-JQ characters and storyline mine. No money made. All for fun and stress relief...

10 November 2008  
_**Into the Valley of Darkness  
Chapter 3 Act 1: Resurgence  
by Ina-chan**_

He was nine years old.

And at that time, like most nine-year-old boys, John had a penchant for getting into trouble whenever an opportunity to quench his thirst for adventure presents itself. It was also around that time when a certain redhead started living with in a full time basis in the US Military Base where their fathers were stationed. Both their fathers belonged to a very important group of men who worked closely together. So it wasn't really a surprise that despite the presence of all the other army brats their age living in the compound, they ended up latching to each other.

But it wasn't until one moment when he was nine years old after they both miraculously survived unscathed when he crashed an army jeep he took for an impulsive joyride that his eyes opened to a revelation. As she towered over him, her tearful eyes betraying her relief despite the outward anger she was displaying, through that angry bruise starting to form around her left eye after she bumped the dashboard, John knew for the first time.

That there was nothing in this world that he wouldn't do for her.

He never doubted that resolve for a single second in his life.

"You want to **WHAT!?!?**"

Of course, that didn't necessarily mean that he would automatically agree to all of her ventures.

"Shut up!" Jessie hissed in annoyance as she saw a couple of heads in the library turned to their direction from the corner of her eye. With out another word, she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the nearest private study cubicle, literally forcing him to sit on a chair before grabbing a random book from the pile and sitting across from him. With that, she glared at him expectantly from over her book.

John followed her suit and glared back. "Are you crazy? Look, I know you were tight with Abby and all… but smuggling her nephew out of the country? **ARE YOU CRAZY?**"

"He doesn't have anybody else. If he stays here, who knows what will happen to him?" Jessie replied blandly.

The boy gaped at her incredulously. "Jessie, that is not your problem. I'm sure the Harcourt Estate will take over his guardianship, if not, his government will."

"Dr. Ross already said that Abby's family situation is complicated, and the government? There's no guarantee that Blu will be protected if he's taken away from this school. Besides, Abby wants me to take him back with me. She even had his documents and left money and everything."

John closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if to ward off an impending headache. "Why the hell are you doing this?"

"Because nobody else will do it," Jessie replied insistently.

"Wrong answer!" John stated again, in a slower tone, emphasizing each word as if talking to a little child. "Why. Are. You. Doing. This."

"It doesn't matter why I'm doing this," Jessie barked in annoyance.

"It matters to me!" John snapped with equal vehemence. "If you're going to involve me in this… felony that you're about to commit, you better give a good reason why I shouldn't march off to the Frog right now and tell him exactly what you intend to do."

"Do that and I'll never speak to you again," Jessie growled under her breath.

John simply gave her a defiant look and got on his feet. But as he turned around to leave, Jessie grabbed on to his arm, forcing him to look back at her. The sardonic words that were ready to spill out of his lips instantly dissolved as soon as he saw her face… and once again saw the expression on her face that he only saw once, years ago. Unshed tears hidden behind a mask of anger.

"John…"

Her voice was pained, and was uncharacteristically small. His heart skipped at beat upon hearing her call his name like that… but at the same time, he felt an ache in his chest upon the realization that her unspoken plea for his help was probably one of the most painful things she has ever done. But he had to know…

"Alright. But first, tell me why. Why you risking so much this for a complete stranger?" John replied quietly. Almost pleading. He had to know… he needed to know.

"I… I don't know," Jessie bowed her head, loosening her grip on his arm. "I just know that I can't leave him behind."

John's heart sank upon hearing her words… and hearing the tone of her voice. He took the seat in front of her once again and placed his hands upfront, palms down, and he realized for the first time that his hands were trembling. But there was one more question that he needed an answer to. Yet, for some reason he couldn't bring himself to have the courage to ask. So he opted for a similar question instead. "Are you in love with him?"

"**WHAT?!?!? NO!!!! AND THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!!!**"

Her reply was so indignant that forced him to look up and meet her gaze. He almost jumped back in surprise as he saw the renewed angry expression on her face… and more… like a look of betrayal…

"Look, if you're not going to help, just forget about it," Jessie snapped, as if trying to hide something in her voice. "Forget that we even had this conversation."

"Are you stupid?" John replied in the same manner. "Did you honestly think that I would let you run off with this idiotic plan of yours on your own?"

A small twinge that probably might have been a cross between relief or gratitude quickly flashed across the young woman's features. However, it went by so fast, that John couldn't help but wonder if he just imagined it.

"But," John continued sternly, "ONLY if you agree with two conditions."

"And what exactly would that be?" Jessie asked cautiously. Though John couldn't help but notice that her usual suspicious demeanor appeared half-hearted than usual.

"You're going to let me take the lead on this…" John began.

"What? Now wait just a minute--- " Jessie protested.

John raised a firm palm as he gave her a stern look that automatically caused the young woman to bite her tongue. "You are going to let me take the lead on this and do everything I say."

"Forget it!" Jessie cried out indignantly, not caring if the whole library heard her voice.

"At this point, you don't have a choice. You'll either accept my terms, or I march to the Frog's office right now," The young man stated almost triumphantly, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

The redhead gaped at the blonde in disbelief, not expecting the tables be turned against her. She narrowed her eyes and mirrored his action, her lips thinning into a line of displeasure.

"Well, is it a deal?" John asked, relishing his rare victory.

Jessie simply glared at him, gaping at him in indignation with the expression similar to a fish out of water, before letting out a sigh of defeat as she sank deeper into her seat. She stared stoically at nothing in particular on the floor for a moment before speaking in a quiet and almost inaudible voice. "There's a… connection… with him and my Dad."

"Pardon?" John leaned forward, barely catching her soft whisper.

"Before Abby died, she told me to bring him to my Dad…" Jessie replied in a louder voice, her eyes still lowered, not wanting to meet his gaze.

The boy frowned at her revelation. "Why would she ask you that?"

"I don't know, okay?" She hissed as she looked up at him and gave him an angry glare. "All I know is that there's a reason why he's in this school. There's a reason why my Dad sent me to this school. There's a reason why Abby wanted me to bring him back with me to meet my Dad… and… and… and… whether they're all reasons or just weird coincidences, they don't give any real answers to the gazillion questions running through my head about my Dad and what he did and didn't do behind my Mom's back that's why they divorced… and I haven't had a decent night sleep since… I DON'T KNOW JOHN! All I know is that there's no way that I'm leaving him behind!"

John gaped at her in shock at the sudden revelation. Without another word, he stood up, grabbed her firmly by the arm to pull her up to her feet, then dragged her behind him as he made his way through the library, grabbing random books from shelves along the way, an ignoring the curious glances of the other students who have been watching them since her first outburst, before ushering her into a private study room. He closed the door behind him, forced her to sit by the table, and shoved an open book for her to hold in front of her, before taking the opposite seat. They both stared listlessly at their respective books in uncomfortable silence, glancing at the suspicious librarian, who followed them and was watching them through the room's glass windows, from the corners of their eyes. It was only after the librarian finally wandered off reluctantly that John dared to speak.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me that in the first place?" John hissed under his breath as he continued to stare at the open book in front of him.

"How would you feel if you found out that your father is hiding a secret?" Jessie growled back.

John lifted his eyes from his book and gave her a silent scalding look.

"A secret like THIS!" Jessie retorted, emphasizing the last word.

"I'm sorry." The boy whispered as he sat back on his seat in shock, his expression softening as he realized the implication of what she just told him.

"Why?" Jessie glared at him in annoyance. "You had nothing to do with this."

"That's not what I meant." John frowned, himself, getting annoyed at her reaction. "I just… I just didn't realize that you were going through this alone. I was too busy thinking that… I'm sorry. I should have been there for you more…"

The girl lowered her gaze once again, not really knowing how to react.

"…and not just for this…" John continued quietly as he put down his book and leaned forward. "When we were little… I promised that I'd always take care of you… but I ended up running away and leaving you behind. I'm sorry."

"Stop," The girl whispered back. "There wasn't anything you could have done back then."

"But it's different now," John countered. "Let me take care of you now. I promise I'll take you back safely."

"As soon as Blu and I get on that plane…" Jessie started.

"As soon as WE all get on that plane," John corrected.

Jessie looked up at him with a start, speechless.

The boy gave her a mischievous lopsided grin, "If I'm going to take care of you for real, I'm going to have to stop running away, right?"

Despite herself, Jessie couldn't stop the tears that pooled at the corners of her eyes from falling. She ducked her head once again and abruptly got up on her feet to leave the room. But before she could manage to take a step, John grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a tight bear hug, leaving no room for struggle, forcing her to accept the warmth of his embrace. All at once, Jessie felt all her defenses crumble as she finally allowed herself to collapse in his arms and let the painful sobs she had been holding back to bubble out of her chest.

John closed his eyes and reached out to stroke her hair. "This time, I promise I'll protect you. I won't run away anymore."

Before the girl could reply, there was an angry, insistent tapping at the private room's glass windows. The two teenagers instantly pulled away from each other to face the librarian's disapproving scowl, glaring at them through the window. Jessie turned away, unwilling to let anyone see her crying while John instinctively stepped forward to block her from the librarian's line of vision as he opened the door.

"Miss Rightfield, thank you for your concern, but everything is under control," John announced, putting on his charming smile.

"Young man, don't try to pull a hood over my eyes. The library is not the place to do any funny business," The librarian barked angrily in a dangerously low tone.

"Oh there's nothing funny about this matter at all ma'am," John replied mournfully. "My friend here was just overwhelmed by a friend's death. She was there to witness it, after all."

The librarian's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but her eyes widened in surprise upon catching a glimpse of red hair from behind the boy's shoulder. "Oh my! Is that…?"

John nodded. "Miss Velasquez didn't want to make a scene, so I deemed it more appropriate here where it's more private. I apologize for the trouble. I'll take her to counselor as soon as she's recovered her composure."

"Oh no, no, no! Please take all the time you need… the poor dear. Feel free to call me if you need anything else," The librarian replied.

"Thank you Miss Rightfield," John answered gratefully as the librarian left to their privacy.

The boy turned around to face his friend, only to find her shoulders shaking silently. John frowned and reached out to take her in his arms again, "Geez…"

Instead of complying as she did earlier, Jessie simply pushed him aside and headed to the door.

John stared at her in confusion. "What is it this time."

"I keep forgetting how good you are at manipulating people," Jessie stated impassively.

"What?" John retorted in exasperation.

"Because I need your help, I'll let it pass," The girl continued emotionlessly, though the look of indignation in her eyes betrayed her true feelings. "Don't you ever use me as an excuse again!"

With that, she stormed out of the room, leaving the John staring at her back, mouth hanging open, completely bewildered at what just transpired. "Son of a… ARRRRRRGH!!!!!" The boy pulled at his hair in frustration as he sank down on a chair, desperately fighting the urge to break something. "Whatever I do… I can't win! DAMMIT!"

He swallowed back his anger as he shoved his hands in his blazer pocket, stretched out his legs to rock his chair on its hind legs, the back of his head gently thumping against the wall. He stopped in mid-action as he felt that letter still unopened and crumpled inside his jacket pocket. John relaxed as that crumpled unopened letter burned like a piece of ember against his skin. With an epiphany, he knew exactly what he needed to do.

He meant what he said. There was nothing in this world that he wouldn't do for her. It was time to stop running away.

End of Chapter 3 Act 1.  
To be continued…

* * *

AUTHOR'S SQUAWK:

My… it has been a while since I updated any of my fics. This one was sitting in my usb data key for a while, so I decided to polish it up and let this baby out in the world. This re-write is going much slower than I expected… but then again, my free time allotted to fanfic writing time has been greatly eaten up by real-life stuff… which is actually quite exciting! ^_^.

Lessee… I finally finished the first draft for my first play. We're doing a reading with real live actors by the end of the month and it's a bit scary… Though probably not as scary when the play gets a live audience in Feb/Mar. I got a couple of audition rejections one after the other. Even though its something completely ordinary to actors, it still a big blow to your ego if its one rejection after another… you never really get used to it. But I do have a small consolation prize. A friend e-mailed me a link showing my first IMDb credit! Even though it was a tiny role in an indie short film… wow! And I'm crossing my fingers to voice-over audition… not holding my breath though since they did say they will call last week to let people know and they never did. Anywayz… life goes on.


	10. Act III Part II: First Move

**STANDARD DISCLAIMER: **JQ characters are not mine, but the non-JQ characters on this chapter are my creations. Any similarities to fictional or actual people, living or dead is just really, really weird. I'm not making any cash from this, it's just purecrazy fun!

January 12, 2009

**Into the Valley of Darkness  
Chapter 3 Act 2: First Move  
**by Ina-chan

It moaned as if in agony. It's timbre shaking, trembling, like a dying man struggling for the next breath. Groaning desperately to push itself and move on. Alas... it would seem that the Goddesses of Fate were against it. Still, it valiantly fought against the inevitable, its wail of protest falling into a wheeze and sputtering into silence.

The young man bowed his head in defeat.

It was useless to attempt anything else.

It was dead.

Hadji climbed out of the jeep and kicked the vehicle's wheel with a muddy boot in frustration. Then laughed at himself at the irony of his incompetence… How was it that a person groomed and trained to lead a nation couldn't figure out how to free a small utility vehicle from the persistent clutches of the sodden earth.

"I should have known," He muttered irritably as he wiped splattered mud from his eyes with the back of his hands. If he didn't know better, this could easily have been one of Melana's ploys to make his life a living hell. She was probably the only woman in the world who would sign a contract with a demon then turn things around and make the devil himself work for her. He had been dreading for the day of reckoning from day one. He had become too comfortable with Anaya's protection. It was a matter of time before the evil twin sister would make her move to trap him in a corner when Anaya wasn't looking.

_"A great leader knows when and how to refuse graciously,"_ he imagined Anaya glaring at him with disappointment and disapproval in his mind's eye.

"Like you're any better," Hadji muttered under his breath as he gave the vehicle another kick, only to lose his balance, slip in and land on his bottom in an undignified muddy heap. _**"STUPID! STUPID! STUPID! WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING HERE !?!?!?!?"**_

**_//_**"_I need you to retrieve a package indicated in those sectors,_" His nemesis simply stated a few hours earlier as she threw a digital map at his direction, only his quick reflexes preventing the incidence of a bloody nose.

_"Wha--? What is this?"_ Hadji frowned as he stared at the small device in his hands.

The stoic expression on the older woman's face didn't even flicker as she bore down at him coldly. _"You wanted something to do other than be my sister's glorified pet, I'm giving you one."_

Hadji's left eyebrow twitched at the comment, but somehow managed to keep his indignation from reflecting on his face. It was true that he didn't appreciate most of Anaya's "unofficial" outings with him, that didn't give Melana the right to assume that he would willingly prefer hers. The last thing he wanted was to go out unescorted with this Zin twin anyway.

_"Be discreet and don't disappoint me." _Melana continued before turning on her heels and leaving him to stand alone in the middle of the hallway._**//**_

"This is discreet all right," Hadji sighed in defeat. He knew it was too good to be true. It was already great news to discover that Melana was not going to accompany him. But arranging to leave the Embassy without an escort, even if it were just for an hour or two to finish an errand… he admitted that it wasn't the best decision, but the chance to go out on his own. It was well worth any risk.

He loved every single moment of his new found freedom.

That was until the moment he miscalculated how much of a nuisance a little bit of mud can be...

…and realized in his excitement that he stupidly left his wireless communication behind…

…and his vehicle's radio was conveniently unresponsive…

…and Melana's errand led him to the middle of nowhere…

That woman definitely has all the world's demons wrapped obediently around her finger.

**"**She's going to be so mad…**"** Hadji sighed again as he buried his face against his knees to ward off the vision of Anaya, glowering down at him, her fury manifesting in the most horrific and indescribable ways that he didn't even want to dare imagine it.

"Alright Behkhadji," Hadji muttered with newfound determination as he struggled to get back on his feet, peeling off his jacket uniform on the way. He dumped it unceremoniously on the passenger's seat and grabbed a forgotten but clean civilian parka that probably belonged to the driver before him at the back. It wasn't as warm as his jacket, but it was much better than the heavy mud-clogged outer gear he was wearing earlier. He brushed the seat of his pants and eyed his legs with distaste… but he didn't have the same fortune of finding replacements for those. Until he's able to find help, these will have to do. "I don't think there's anything else that can make this situation even worse."

As if to answer his musing, the sky roared angrily and a million angels shed their tears in fear. For the millionth time, Hadji wondered why he was born under such an unlucky star.

Hadji could only glare at the sky venomously.

As he scrambled to secure his parka and grab a survival kit from a compartment in the jeep, and fled into the less sodden safety of the trees his mind was plagued with a single thought he long suspected…

"Not only all of the world's demons, but the gods and goddesses as well…"

****

Half a continent away, Carla Rage whistled happily at her good fortune. Her world was still not blown to atomic sub particles, her boss gave her the rest of the week off, she received the best news she's heard in her life, and now she has a nice Styrofoam cup of Earl Grey in her hands...

She was happy.

"I see that you heard the news," An older man commented the moment the girl stepped inside the elevator

The girl smiled brightly at the snow-haired man, she considered as her current family, "Yep! It looks like Mom will finally get some sleep tonight!"

"Off the leash early today?"

"Decided to take the slave-whip away too..." The girl nodded with a relieved sigh, "I never realized how difficult and boring this is... How does Jessie put up with it?"

The man grinned proudly, "That's Jessie."

"Speaking of which, a little bird told me that a couple of other little birds flew the coop from across the pond..."

The grin instantly vanished from the man's lips as he let out a defeated sigh, "That's… Jessie."

"I didn't expect her to last that long though... I guess Angie wins the betting pool. But this is awesome! Everyone's finally coming home! Jessie and Johnny--" The girl suddenly stopped and peered at the other man cautiously from her cup. "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," The man replied with yet another sigh and muttered under his breath, "It was a waste of time to try in the first place…"

The girl nodded, the worried expression still etched on her face, "About the Doc…"

"Don't worry too much."

"I can't help it... he's really… you know… about what happened..."

"I'll handle it," The man promised as the elevator door opened and he stepped outside

"Oh, and congratulations on your promotion!" The girl called out through the closing door.

The man let out another sigh giving the girl behind him a wave as the doors closed. He's been around the military long enough to understand the need for its hierarchical structure. But he couldn't care less about these stupid title changes. Regardless of what people call him, he's still pretty much doing the same job. But what he's about to do… like his regular job, he's done it a million times. Still, it never gets much easier.

He raised his eyebrow and noted that the traffic in the hallway was unusually sparse. If he didn't know any better, the entire wing could be as good as deserted… which usually meant only one thing. The man let out yet another suffering sigh before continuing his trek towards his intended destination.

Like the hallways, the room seemed deserted amidst the array of computer monitors scrolling perpetual sets of numbers and graphs. If it weren't for the collective humming of the CPUs in the room, one would probably mistake the atmosphere close to that of the Sistine. Not that this room didn't have the same infamy in the base…

'…_only colder.__' _The man thought quietly as he instinctively adjusted the collar of his uniform. He could never understand how a normal person could stand staying… not to mention working in the recycled air of this god-forsaken refrigerator longer than an hour or two.

Then again, the man he sought was anything but normal.

"Came to drag me out kicking and screaming?" A voice called out from somewhere behind one of the monitors in the room.

"Why would I do that? There's a pool that's accumulating a small fortune on how long you're going to stay cooped up in here before you shrivel up and die," Race made a nonchalant shrug as he leaned against the nearest desk and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "And I'm winning."

"No smoking," The voice remarked in annoyance.

"Stop me," The man shot back as he lit a match.

As if on cue, an office chair wheeled from behind him, an outstretched arm grabbing the cigarette from his mouth before the lit match could touch it as it passed, before stopping to give his attention to a nearby monitor with practiced precision.

"That's one way of smoking you out of your hole," The man commented idly as he faced the newcomer idly. "Benton, You look like shit. I don't blame the entire staff evacuating the floor. You smell like one too."

"Nice to see you too Race," The disheveled and unkempt scientist replied drily not bothering to look up at his friend before propelling his chair towards the next screen.

"You know, if you continue doing that, your chair will become permanently fused to your ass," Race commented as he watched the other man continue with his work.

"I'm not in the mood for any light-hearted banter, Major. So if you don't mind finding your way towards the door, I have a lot of work to do," Benton stated bluntly.

"Actually, as of 1000hrs today, its Colonel now," Race corrected.

"Well, will you look at that? Congratulations." Benton finally stopped and looked up to face his friend with a grin, before falling back into his stoic expression and returning to his computers. "Now get the hell out."

Race laughed and sat on the edge of the desk he was leaning on instead. "This isn't going to change anything you know. Firing your entire staff---"

"I did not fire my entire staff. I just gave them the week off," Benton replied without skipping a beat, "Except for that Thompson boy. He's an idiot."

"You wha---?" Race stared at him with a start, completely taken aback by the news. He closed his eyes and started rubbing his temple as if to ward off an impending headache, "Benton, you can't keep firing your assistants like that."

"Then find me a competent one," Benton countered, as if a challenge.

"Then I suppose you'll be happy to hear that Jessie is on her way back home," Race announced.

"Jessie… Jessie…" Benton stopped, a frown etching his forehead as if trying to recall something from memory. "Didn't I already fire her?"

"Around twenty times," Race replied.

"Ah!" Benton's face brightened, "The stubborn one that wouldn't leave."

"My daughter," Race added with a hint of pride.

"I noticed the family resemblance," Benton commented drily.

Race watched the scientist putter around the equipment for a few moments before continuing. "Ben… Johnny's coming home with her."

Benton froze upon hearing those words. He stared at his monitor as if in a daze for a few seconds, before typing once again. "I see."

The soldier grabbed a nearby office chair and pulled it closer to his friend. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." The scientist replied simply, as he continued typing.

He parked the seat beside the redhead and sat down, backrest of the chair on front. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll survive," Benton answered listlessly.

Race watched the computer monitor fill up with what his friend was typing and listened to the gentle clickety-clackking of the computer keyboard echoing against the humming of the room's multitude of CPUs for a what seemed like an eternity.

"Yeah, you did." Race replied quietly as he read what his friend wrote on the monitor in. "It's unforgivable… especially for a fifteen-year-old boy."

_Clikety-clickety-clack-clack-clack-clack._

"For someone who's supposed to be the biggest brain on the face of the Earth, you're not really very smart, are you?" Race commented.

_Clack-clikety-clackety-clackety-clack-clack-clickety-clickety-clack._

"She's gone Ben. Both of them are. But his father's still alive. And whether he wants to admit it or not… he still needs you. And you need him too."

_Click-click-click-clack._

"Yeah," Race agreed with a small smile on his face. "Yeah."

To be Continued  
End of Chapter 3 Act 2

* * *

Author's squawk:

WOW! I just finished my first fanfic chapter of 2009! AND ITS JONNY QUEST!

Comparing this with the original version… I'm totally amazed at the different possibilities of writing about the same idea. To be quite honest, I really enjoyed writing this chapter a lot more now. Since I was pretty much modifying various characters' personalities, I realized that Ben and Race remained pretty stagnant. I hope this little tweak made them more real. Now on to the next chapter!

Ja!

Ina-chan


	11. Act III Part III: The First Step

**STANDARD DISCLAIMER: **JQ characters are not mine, but the non-JQ characters on this chapter are my creations. Any similarities to fictional or actual people, living or dead is just really, really weird. I'm not making any cash from this, it's just purecrazy fun!

June 2, 2009

**Into the Valley of Darkness  
Chapter 3 Act 3: The First Step  
**by Ina-chan

"No, I am NOT okay."

John stepped back and instinctively raised his hands in the air in surrender, narrowly avoiding Jessie's muddy boot as the girl aimed for his knees when he held out his hand to help her up. Based on the sharp daggers the girl was shooting at him as she wiped the mud off from her eyes, John figured that holding back the mirth that was threatening to burst from his chest was likely the best course of action.

"This is the last time I let you be in charge of anything," Jessie grumbled as she struggled to her feet and tried to wipe off the heavy goop that clung stubbornly to her clothes.

"And what would you rather do? Hitchhike cross country in the main roads, alert the police, and get caught before we even started?" The boy retorted accusingly.

"That risk doesn't look very bad right now," Jessie replied as she unceremoniously flicked a glob of dirt at him.

"Well I'm sorry that I don't have the power to command the weather on my beck and call," John retorted. "But I didn't hear any objections to the plan earlier."

"Because I was momentarily blinded and stunned by the fleeting idea that you weren't an idiot after all," Jessie snapped back before turning her annoyance to the third member of their party who was following them in a relatively safe distance. "The hell Blu!!! What are you waiting for!?!?!?!! Someone to detonate a bomb behind you?!?!?!"

John snorted as the other boy ignored their impatient fire-haired companion and continued to walk in his leisurely pace. "Geez, stop being such a nag… It'll be at least a good four days before the school catches on that we're not with Dr. Ross' during the school holidays. By then, we'll be halfway across the Atlantic."

"Right," Jessie replied uncertainly with a frown.

The boy sighed upon seeing her expression, "Stop it."

"What?"

"This isn't like you at all."

"What?!?"

"Worrying," John sighed again, before switching to a more serious tone. "He's going to be very pissed, but he'll understand."

An unreadable expression flashed across Jessie's face as she turned away and watched the younger boy inch closer, "Dr. Ross wouldn't agree to this stupid plan if he knew."

John sighed, but considering their current situation, figured it was best to let it go. "Yeah, but he'll also understand in the end. He seemed like the type who'll continue to do anything to help her."

Jessie raised an eyebrow, "How would you know that? You only met Dr. Ross once or twice."

"I don't have to be good buddies with him to figure it out," The blonde snorted as he gave a significant gesture towards the other boy's approaching figure.

"And since when have you been an expert on human behavior?"

"Nah," John gave her a leveled gaze. "I just know that we men just have the irrational tendency to follow every whim and command of the woman who has complete power over them."

Jessie gave him another unreadable expression before completely turning around to walk stiffly towards their lagging companion. "Goddammit Blu! Don't you dare stop! DOUBLE TIME! NOW!!!"

"Why do I even try?" John mumbled in annoyance as he shoved his hands on his pockets as he watched the girl grab the younger boy's hand through hooded eyes.

"Blu!" Jessie growled with increasing irritation as the younger boy stopped moving as soon as she started to tug his arm. "We don't have time for this. Cmon! We have to get out of here before we run out of light."

But boy refused to move from the fallen log where Jessie lost her footing earlier, and seemed more determined to stubbornly root himself on the ground rather than follow her orders. Jessie let out an exasperated cry and threw her hand up in the air.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," John sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, as if to ward a headache. "Give him a break Jessie. We've been walking through this muck the whole day. You refused to rest for more than fifteen minutes, not even for lunch."

Jessie turned to him incredulously. "Since when did you become Mr. Sensitive?"

"Look, I know you're angry and miserable," John replied patiently, "and I'm used to how you blow off steam. But the Blu-man here isn't me and dragging him into your aura of misery is obviously not going to help matters."

As if to emphasize the older boy's point, Blu decided to take that opportunity to sit on the ground against the log and hugged his knees.

"Great… just wonderful!"

"Look… Max mentioned an old abandoned farmhouse approximately…." John announced as he peered unto the GPS in his watch, "half a mile south from here. It's a bit of a detour, but at the rate we're going, we won't reach our first stop before the light goes out anyway. The rain doesn't look like its going to let up any time soon either. We might as well find a place where we can warm up and stay dry."

"An old abandoned farmhouse," Jessie stared at him blandly. "Isn't that convenient…"

"Oh, how could I have been so stupid? You figured me out." John replied in the same tone. "It's where I lure innocent virgins and then bury them in woods after I had my way with them."

"I suppose it's better than being out in this rain," Jessie let out an indignant snort as she grabbed the younger boy's hand again. "Let's go Blu."

However, the younger blonde still refused to move.

"Oh for the love of…" Jessie muttered as she crouched down beside the boy, brushing a clump of wet hair from her face, "Blu, what is it?"

It was only then that she noticed. The unmistakable hitch in Blu's breathing and how he was staring intently at a specific area of the thick brushwood behind him, from the corner of his eyes. Jessie instinctively loosened the straps of her back pack and ducked behind the fallen wood. Without a word, John silently followed her lead.

It felt like an eternity as John watched the bushes intently. The soft pitter patter of the rain and their nervous breaths punctuating the deafening silence until they heard it…

/Crack!/

The mere sound of a twig on the ground snapping under pressure boomed in their ears like thunder. John felt Jessie's hand reach anxiously for his. His surprised gaze met her deer-in-headlights expression from opposite end of the younger boy positioned between them. Though at the time, his mind couldn't decide if he was surprised with the fact that she actually reached out to him for comfort, or if it was from seeing that un-Jessie-like expression on her face. Nonetheless, John couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable anger start to well within him. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, before reluctantly pulling away from her to reach for his knapsack.

/Crack!/

It was closer. The sound and its implication pulled Jessie back to reality. Jessie couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable anger start to well with her. Though her mind couldn't decide at the time if she was angry that she allowed her feelings show in a lapse of momentary weakness, or the fact that he pulled away when she allowed herself to depend on him. She already knew better than to put her faith in him.

_There's no time for that, Jessie._ She scolded herself silently as her body tensed to get ready for attack as the thick shroud of leafless shrubbery before them quavered and shook, as if violently struggling in an unseen battle… until finally, the tall shrubbery finally gave way and allowed a hooded figure to burst through them.

"Don't move." John's voice sounded unnaturally dangerous, that Jessie almost stumbled forward off balance as her body instinctively obeyed the command in mid-leap.

The stranger made an unintelligible sound and started to move toward them, but instantly froze and raised both hands up in the air at the sound of a distinctive click. Jessie held her breath at the sound as well as she slowly turned to look at her friend.

"Take off your belt or shoelaces and throw it in front of you. Your choice."

"Can't we---" The stranger began calmly.

"Did I tell you to talk?"

The stranger reluctantly and cautiously unbuckled his belt and obeyed the original order.

Jessie didn't even try to stifle the sharp intake of breath that got caught in her throat when she first caught the sight of John calmly brandishing a revolver at the interloper. It wasn't really the sight of her friend holding a weapon that chilled her blood. It was the expression on his face and the tone of his voice. It scared the hell out of her. She's only seen someone act like this before...

"Turn around. Get down on your knees and put your hands behind your head where I can see them."

Once.

"Jessie."

And she never wanted to see that expression on anyone's face ever again.

"Jessie!"

Jessie jumped at the sound of his voice. He motioned towards the belt and she somehow managed to recover to obey his silent order. She as she looped the belt over one of their prisoner's wrists, she pulled at the hood to see his face. Her eyes widened as she met an equally surprised familiar set of brown eyes. "You…"

The young man gave her a nervous grin, "Despite the circumstances, I'm very happy to see you."

"Jessie?"

"Its okay, put the gun down," Jessie replied as she helped Hadji back on his feet. "He's a friend."

"A friend?" The girl's introduction seemed to have made the boy even angrier, that for a moment Jessie thought that Hadji looked more fearful for his life than their earlier encounter.

"I'm sorry," Jessie whispered to Hadji apologetically, before snapping back at the other boy. "John, don't be such a douche."

"Ah!" Hadji eyed the other boy as comprehension dawned on his face. "Your overprotective father..."

Despite herself, Jessie laughed.

* * *

The irony behind mirror images was that despite behaving and acting opposite to the other, mirror images were still, in a true sense, still one being. And that's how Melana always saw her sister and her self.

Despite their distinct personalities and their contrasting styles in approaching certain… situations… they were essentially the same person. She wasn't quite sure when it first started, but even as children, they seemed to have an unconscious decision to often times take the opposite approach to a situation. Working together always meant going head to head on certain decisions. There were more instances than she can count when they found themselves like this. Across each other, holding back the urge to gouge each other's eyes out and being forced to make compromises. Often times, it worked to their advantage…in most situations.

Melana allowed an uncharacteristic smile to pull the corners of her lips. She knew her sister inside out as well as Anaya reads her like an open book. Despite their contrasting personalities both sisters knew better than anyone how the other feels and reacts to moments like these.

And at the moment, Anaya was annoyed. "Why did you do that?"

"He wanted to be more useful and I needed an errand boy," Melana replied blandly with a shrug. "It was a win-win situation."

"Sending him out alone in the middle of nowhere in this weather is a win-win situation?" Anaya rebutted, not bothering to hide her ire as she leaned on the desk between them.

Melana raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound as if your little pet is incapable of protecting himself. Wasn't it your idea to let him tag along as part of your 'self-confidence' building exercise?"

"Stop calling him my pet," Anaya's own eyebrow twitched unconsciously at the remark. Her lips thinning into a line, in an honorable attempt to avoid her twin's baiting. "You know better than anyone else the complications that could arise if something were to happen to him."

"Of course. Wasn't I the one who tried to warn you from the very beginning?" Melana replied curtly before giving her sister a leveled look. "Or are you finally admitting that you brought him for your own selfish motives?"

"What are the transmitter codes? I'll retrieve him myself," Anaya demanded as she leaned even closer.

"I never intended to hide it from you," Melana retorted with a hint of amusement as she unceremoniously slid a portable GPS tracker across the desk towards her sister. Without another word, Anaya grabbed the device and spun around her heels to leave the room in a huff. "Though… do you think this would be beneficial to your pet's little self-help program?"

Anaya paused to give her sister a venomous glare. "Stop calling him my pet."

"Of course its not that he's not used to you coming to his rescue, even though his general location is technically still within the embassy's perimeter…" Melana remarked, ignoring her twin's ire, "…in which your presence could complicate a rather simple, yet delicate operation."

"Sister… what did you do?" Anaya asked in a dangerously low voice.

Melana gave her an uncharacteristic smile. "I needed an errand boy to fetch a very important package."

"You didn't…"

"It's your fault you know."

"My fault?"

"You hesitated."

"This has nothing to do with him."

Melana gave her a sardonic laugh in reply.

"He need not be involved in a family matter."

"So you're saying now, after all you've said and done, you have no intention on elevating the status of your little pet into anything more than?"

Anaya froze and gaped at her twin incredulously, "W-what did you say?"

"You can fool yourself for as long as you wish, Sister," Melana continued, returning to her cold, serious businesslike demeanor. "But you know as well as I do that we can't fool each other. If you wish me to accept him, then he must prove that he would be willing to get his own hands dirty. Better to shoot a lying jade before it sings it treacherous song twice, don't you think?"

"If you were not my sister…" Anaya began in a low voice.

"If I were not your sister, you would have been executed for your own treachery," Melana shot back. "You may have forgotten, or forgiven, or simply don't care, but I haven't. I will never rest until all that belongs to us is rightfully restored. All of those responsible for tainting Father's honour are punished."

A pained expression flashed across the other Zin daughter's features for a few moments. "Sister, is it worth the price you are paying?"

An uncharacteristic flash of anger crossed Melana's own face, "If you truly love our family, that question would not even cross your mind!"

Anaya clenched her fists and quickly spun around, quickly making her way across the room and towards the door.

"Running away again?" Melana called out after her mockingly.

Anaya paused by the door a few moments, not bothering to look back. "0600 hours."

"Very well."

With that, Anaya stepped out of the room and silently closed the door behind her, leaving Melana to lean back in her seat, something that may resemble triumphant smile slightly curling the corners of her lips, marring her stony features.

End of Chapter 3 Act 3  
To be continued

* * *

Author's Squawk:

Wow… this one took a lot longer to write. Blame it on RL crap. I'm actually a bit disappointed to see how short the scene is…

Ina-chan


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